[cobbzilla]

Let’s say you have a life-threatening illness. all legal treatments have failed. there is a potentially life-saving treatment that has passed FDA safety trials but is still in efficacy trials and has not been approved for any legal use. You’re fine with just throwing up your hands and dying, because you’re not allowed to make that decision?

[jimrhods23]

Let's say I'm a startup with a new idea for a treatment. I don't really have the funding to actually go through the proper testing and I decide to use humans to test my new ideas. All of the patients in my trial die a horrible death (much worse than going through cancer) in the process. In fact, there was no chance it would have ever worked.

Are you okay with these consequences? Regulations are in place for a reason. While I do think we need to loosen some of the regulations in the US, having no regulations, like what is describe in this article, will bring forth companies that have no business selling drug treatments and literally getting away with murder.

[cobbzilla]

You set up a strawman and destroy it without answering any of my questions; this seems like arguing in bad faith.

Endeavoring to be more constructive and respond in good faith: No, I am not OK with those consequences, and the ludicrous strawman argument you raise bears zero relation to the entirely realistic hypothetical that I described.

I hope you are never stricken with a life-threatening illness that cannot be treated with our artificially limited set of legally available interventions.

[jimrhods23]

"You set up a strawman and destroy it without answering any of my questions; this seems like arguing in bad faith."

I gave you a scenario that is very possible without some sort of regulations. We have regulations in place because experimental drugs can kill people without proper oversight.

China is not known for having a good track record in terms of regulations or caring about the life of a human being. Many people still won't buy baby formula to this day because of the lead scare a few years back.

"I hope you are never stricken with a life-threatening illness that cannot be treated with our artificially limited set of legally available interventions."

You are too emotional to have an actual discussion about this.

[matz1]

Yes. Your will be facing multiple lawsuit and go down if it found out that you knew that there was no chance it would have ever work. Maybe facing criminal charge too.

[jimrhods23]

It might not work because it hasn't been completely tested. The human is the test and people may die during the testing process.

Why should anyone go to jail over this? The startup was just testing it out and the person was willing to take the risk. They might not have even known that it would kill the patient.

When a patient dies, the family will most likely try to sue the company that created the treatment. What company would ever take a risk like this?

The bright side is that the human testers in China will lead to better care in the rest of the world.