Industry Ties Bind FDA Advisors
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report describing how the Food and Drug Administration handles conflicts of interest on its advisory panels. Financial conflicts plague a significant number of FDA advisors and FDA panels, according to the report.
FDA advisory committees can provide valuable advice to decisionmakers inside the agency "particularly concerning controversial issues or new products," according to GAO. Committees can weigh in on the safety and efficacy of a pharmaceutical awaiting approval or the safety of chemicals found in every day products — as FDA's science board did in September when it considered the safety of bisphenol-A. "The advisory committees' recommendations are not binding on the agency, but the agency usually follows the advisory committees' advice," GAO says.
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