HJR 20-PROSTATE CANCER DRUGS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON announced HJR 20 to be up for consideration.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CODY RICE, staff to Representative Carl Gatto, sponsor, said:                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     HJR 20  essentially recognizes the fact  that there are                                                                    
     currently no  targeted, as  they are  called, therapies                                                                    
     for  prostate cancer.  There are  specifically targeted                                                                    
     drug therapies    that is  for other specific  types of                                                                    
     cancer.  And this  resolution would  urge Congress  and                                                                    
     the  FDA to  expedite  where possible  the approval  of                                                                    
     such targeted therapies.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked  if the FDA and Congress  are currently failing                                                               
to expedite the approval of these drugs.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICE replied  that there are currently no  approved drugs for                                                               
prostate cancer, although  some such drugs that are  in the later                                                               
stages  of approval  for what  is called  "end of  life care"  or                                                               
"compassionate use" and drugs have  been approved for the end-of-                                                               
life-care of patients with AIDS and some forms of cancer.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:23:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked  if it is fair  to say that Xinlay,  on page 2,                                                               
line  6,  is an  explicit  request  in  the  midst of  a  general                                                               
request.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICE replied:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Yes, Xinlay,  astrasentan, is the only  drug that we're                                                                    
     aware  of that  is specifically  targeted for  prostate                                                                    
     cancer  that has,  then, reached  the  later series  of                                                                    
     trials through the FDA.  It's my understanding that                                                                        
     there may be one other drug out there and that is why                                                                      
     we left the final be-it-resolved more general....                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:25:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said that he supports  the bill, but he is somewhat                                                               
uncomfortable with including  the name of a  specific drug within                                                               
the  resolution because  he does  not  want his  support of  this                                                               
resolution  to be  an  endorsement of  a drug  that  he does  not                                                               
understand or  to indicate that  he believes there are  not other                                                               
drugs that should be considered.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:26:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN  moved  to  report HJR  20  from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations  and zero fiscal notes.  There were no                                                               
objections and it was so ordered.