(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- U.S. Senator Kay Hagan is introducing and shopping around the Transforming the Regulatory Environment to Accelerate Access to Treatments Act to get targeted treatments to patients with serious or life-threatening diseases. She said it is reminiscent of the system that advanced HIV and cancer drugs back in the 1990's.

"But for patients suffering today from some diseases for which there are no current treatments or for those patients who are clutching to the hope that a better treatment will be developed for their rare diseases, medical advances cannot come fast enough," said Hagan.

The so called TREAT Act would accelerate the review and approval process for medicines that treat an unmet medical need, significantly advance the standard of care, or are highly targeted therapies for serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions.

The bill is being referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that oversees healthcare issues. Sen. Hagan is a member of the HELP Committee.