Financial Conflicts of Interest and the Food and Drug Administration's Advisory Committees

Advisory committees to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) help the agency make decisions about the approval of medications and medical devices, among other issues. Membership on these committees is subject to detailed policies and procedures for managing potential conflicts of interest and for balancing possible conflicts against the agency's need for advisers with relevant scientific expertise (see box).^1,2 Two recent high-profile meetings have raised questions about the agency's approach and whether it should change.In February, the FDA convened a joint meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to discuss . . .