Conflict of Interest at FDA: Is it Real or Hype? 
[Posted on: Thursday, July 19, 2018]

Serving on the FDA Advisory Committees is a considered a very prestigious accomplishment for most academic and professional experts who help FDA make tough decisions about new drugs. A survey of the post-Advisory Committee life of these experts found that for many, this also serves as an attractive credential for companies seeking to hire expert advisors for the company’s ongoing development programs. More than half of the experts serving on FDA Advisory Committees are hired by industry and get lucrative financial benefits. Seven of the 107 Advisory Committee members made seven figure incomes, while about 59 experts made up to $100,000 as consultants to companies after their stint as an expert on the FDA Advisory Committees. The article implies a conflict of interest for these experts, but this may paint and unfair picture of these experts. FDA has a robust process to identify academic experts to serve on Advisory Committees. The criteria for selection includes subject matter expertise and due diligence to verify no ongoing conflict of interest. However, after these experts complete their stint on the Advisory Committees, they are valuable consultants to companies looking to use their subject matter expertise and knowledge of the FDA review process having seen it intimately. Besides the companies may have seen their perspectives at the FDA meetings and found it to be valuable. In any case, once they are no longer serving for the FDA, their future endeavors should not raise undue concerns. This is like FDA’s former employees being hired by the industry or acting as consultants. There is no conflict of interest here. It is called cashing in on one’s talent.