NIH's Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) is a panel of 14 independent scientists and nine public representatives. For years, RAC has reviewed gene therapy protocols by any researcher or organization receiving NIH funding.
But last summer, RAC-under pressure from researchers anxious to speed the regulatory process-decided to stop case-by-case review of gene therapy protocols. Instead, RAC decided to review only those protocols that depart from the familiar-for example, gene therapy attempted in utero or with a new vector.
At the same time, the ad hoc committee, led by geneticist Inder Verma of the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., was working on an assessment of RAC's role. In the end, the committee applauded RAC's lightened caseload. As expected, researchers do as well. "Finally, RAC is out of silly case-by-case review," sighs Barrie Carter, director of research and development at Targeted Genetics Corp., a publicly held company in Seattle working on ...
