Montana Is Now A Testing Ground For Experimental Treatments

Montana Opened The Door To New Experimental Medical Treatments

When it comes to illnesses, I feel like most of us would do just about whatever it takes to get healthy.

Well, Montana has now opened a new pathway to experimental medical treatments that haven't been approved by the FDA, meaning Montanans could get access to some of these treatments before people in other parts of America.

How Montana's New Experimental Treatment System Will Work

A new Montana law allows certain experimental treatments to be offered to patients, but only after they've made it through an early stage of clinical testing focused on safety, even if they haven't gone through the full FDA approval process.

In an article published by POLITICO they're reporting that Montana's system is now becoming a testing ground for biotech companies hoping to get experimental treatments to patients without going through the traditional FDA approval process first.

A privately run Montana review board recently approved a treatment for neurological hearing loss. It combines an FDA-approved antihistamine with a proprietary sound program that patients would use for about an hour a day.

Right now, patients can't receive the treatment because Montana hasn't licensed an experimental treatment center. However, it's probably only a matter of time, with two applications currently pending.

A person in a white lab coat looking through a microscope in a laboratory

Why Biotech Companies Are Looking to Montana for Experimental Treatments

There's already plenty of attention surrounding the new system, especially from smaller biotech startups that say the traditional drug approval process can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The goal is to give those companies a way to generate revenue and collect information about their treatments here in Montana while they continue pursuing FDA approval.

Still, not everyone is excited about the possibilities.

Rows of medical blood collection tubes with colorful caps in a laboratory rack

Medical Ethicists Question Montana's New Experimental Treatment System

Medical ethicists have raised questions about whether privately operated review boards should be making decisions about experimental treatments and whether patients could end up spending money on therapies that haven't been proven to work.

The law does require informed consent and a recommendation from a medical provider. The review boards must also include medical, scientific, and ethics expertise.

So right now, Montana has officially opened the door to experimental treatments that aren't yet FDA approved, and other biotech companies are already watching to see what happens next.

Get the full story from POLITICO here.