House committee advances bill to extend Colorado 'right to try' to individualized genetic treatments

Minority Leader Leslie Puglisi, sponsor of HB 25-1270, told the House Health and Human Services Committee her bill would expand Colorado’s existing right-to-try law to cover individualized genetic treatments for people with rare diseases.

The bill’s backers said the change would not create new insurance mandates or add physician liability; it would allow treating doctors and patients an option to try investigational, individualized therapies when no approved treatments exist. “There’s no mandates on insurance companies. No liability for a physician who prescribes a drug and it doesn’t work,” Puglisi said. “There are just options for patients.”

The nut graf: Committee members heard emotional personal testimony from patients and family members who said the change could mean life‑extending or life‑saving options for people running out of time. After roughly an hour of testimony and questions, the committee moved the bill…