Compass is still being developed and is effectively in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete, change, or not work as expected.

Content is anchored to trusted sources where available, but Compass has not yet been clinically reviewed. It provides general information rather than medical advice.

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Treatments and research

Compassionate use

Access to an unapproved treatment for one person, arranged case by case.

What it means

Very close to expanded access, and the words are often used interchangeably. The difference is usually scale: compassionate use tends to describe an arrangement for an individual rather than a programme for a group.

Why you might hear it

  • It appears in discussions about reaching treatments not yet approved.
  • The route and the paperwork differ by country.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.