Terminally ill Illinoisans should soon be able to try experimental drugs not yet approved by federal regulators after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the proposal into law Wednesday.
The law from state Sen. Michael Connelly, a Lisle Republican, is known as “right to try” legislation because it allows patients with certain diseases who have exhausted treatment options to try drugs that have made it through only preliminary trials.
“We all have family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who suffered or died from cancer,” Connelly said.
State Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat, was the other lead lawmaker on the legislation. Connelly said he sought Harris out to help carry it.
“It is one of those issues where it’s not partisan,” Connelly said.
Rauner signed it into law without a public statement.
Connelly argued that because Food and Drug Administration approval of new treatments can take five years, some terminally ill patients have left the country to seek them out.
The Illinois State Medical Society raised some initial concerns about experimental treatments early in the life of the legislation but didn’t oppose its approval by lawmakers in the end.
The new law takes effect Jan. 1.