CONCORD, N.H. – Today, Gov. Ayotte signed into law HB 701, a critical right to try expansion bill aimed at making New Hampshire the leading legal jurisdiction in the nation for dying patients seeking access to experimental treatments. Named the “John Lewicke and Michael Yakubovich Right to Try Act” after two state legislators who are fighting life-threatening illness, HB 701 will bring several cutting edge reforms to the Granite State.
First, the new law will allow terminally ill patients to consent to a strong limitation on civil liability—including in clinical trials—that will help them actually access the experimental treatments that could save their lives. Although “Right to Try” laws exist on paper across the country—allowing dying patients to waive all regulatory enforcement—manufacturers and doctors who want to provide experimental treatments still face the threat of career-destroying civil liability if these treatments go awry, meaning that most dying patients seeking these treatments are turned away.
Additionally, HB 701 would permit providers who are physically present in New Hampshire to conduct remote pre-screenings of out-of-state patients seeking experimental treatment here, saving patients the burden of interstate travel. The bill also contains a slate of other reforms to attract experimental treatments to the Granite State.
With this new law, the Granite State is poised to attract patients, innovators, and biotech businesses from across the region and beyond. By making New Hampshire a hub of biotechnology innovation, we can fully leverage the New Hampshire advantage, unleash a flourishing industry in the state, and help to save lives here and across the country.
Cornerstone thanks Gov. Kelly Ayotte for signing HB 701, placing our state first in the nation for making available emerging treatments that will provide critical hope and help for the dying. We also thank the lawmakers and individuals who have worked tirelessly to advance this legislation to the Governor’s desk, including: Rep. Lisa Mazur, Rep. Erica Layon, Rep. Steven Kesselring, Rep. Wayne MacDonald, Councilor John Stephen, Dr. Bess Stillman, and former state representatives John Lewicke and Michael Yakubovich, for whom the legislation is named.
