In a heartbreaking and personal account, the author highlights the slow and bureaucratic nature of the FDA’s drug approval process and how it can cost lives. Facing terminal cancer, the author expresses frustration at the delays in approving mRNA tumor vaccines, which have shown great promise in treating treatment-resistant squamous cell carcinomas. The FDA’s reluctance to approve such trials, even for patients with little time left, is criticized. The author advocates for a stronger “right to try” presumption, allowing dying patients to access unproven drugs. The piece ends with a poignant goodbye, emphasizing the need for change in the system.
https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/22/i-am-dying-of-squamous-cell-carcinoma-and-the-treatments-that-might-save-me-are-just-out-of-reach/