Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reintroduced the CREATES Act, S. 974, in an effort to close regulatory loopholes at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that limit competition in the emerging market for biosimilars. Sen. Mike Lee and all of the other cosponsors of last year’s bill have returned as cosponsors. Rep. Tom Marino also introduced this bill in the House of Representatives on April 27th.

During his bid for reelection in 2012, then-President Obama tried to defend ObamaCare in a campaign speech, telling his supporters, “[Y]our premiums will go down.” It has been about five years since he said that and they have gone significantly differently than the President intended. Evidence has actually found that the reverse happened and that premium prices went up.

On May 5, 2017, Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) signed SB 5035, making Washington the 35th Right to Try state. The Right to Try law allows drugs that have passed the initial phase of FDA testing to be tried by various individuals despite the fact the drug has not yet gone through the lengthy process of full approval by the agency.