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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A bill allowing terminally-ill patients to use experimental drugs before they receive federal approval is headed to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert for approval.
Utah's Legislature gave final approval to the measure Monday, when the House voted 69-3 on the proposal.
Huntsville Republican Rep. Gage Froerer sponsors the measure, which gives patients access to drugs that have passed the first stage of testing by the federal Food and Drug Administration but have not received final approval.
If Herbert signs the measure, the so-called "Right to Try" bill would make Utah the latest in a series of states to institute such legislation, which is being pushed by the Arizona-based libertarian think tank The Goldwater Institute.
Supporters of the legislation argue that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval process is too lengthy.
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