Montana law empowers venture capital in experimental treatments
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Investors in Montana are now shaping access to unapproved drugs after helping the state pass a new law last year.
They drafted legislation to expand access to therapies not yet proven safe or effective by regulators. Montana now relies on a privately run board to decide which treatments to offer, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the value patients will receive.
The first treatment authorized by this board is for hearing loss, combining a daily antihistamine with a proprietary sound mix from a Denver company. This treatment has not been reviewed by Montana or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, but was approved by a review board created by Niklas Anzinger, a biotech investor. Anzinger is also a key figure in Próspera, a private city in Honduras where biotech firms can test treatments without typical government oversight.
He and the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives collaborated on Montana’s law, hoping to establish a medical tourism hub similar to Próspera. Montana's law differs from those in over 40 other US states by extending access to treatments even for those without life-threatening illnesses. The success of Montana’s experiment depends on whether the FDA intervenes, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled support for increased access to longevity treatments.
Anzinger’s company operates the review board, charging a $12,500 application fee to companies seeking approval in Montana.
