FDA floats new conflict policy

Advisers to America's top drug approval agency will have to provide more detailed information about financial interests they hold in pharmaceutical and medical device companies, the US Food and Drug Administration linkurl:announced;http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm209119.htm yesterday (21st April). The FDA grants conflict of interest waivers to some members of its 32 advisory committees, which convene to discuss food and drug safety issues, review impending approvals of specific drugs or devices, address particular disease areas, and provide opinions on policy matters. Since 2008, these waivers have been contingent upon the committee members disclosing to the agency if they work with a sponsor or competitor of a drug or medical device under FDA review, without providing more detail than that. But now, the agency is saying that committee members seeking a waiver must be prepared to go public with the names of those companies with which they have a relationship and the dollar amounts involved....