Research and Reports

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to assist in its mission to protect and promote the public health, uses 48 committees and panels to obtain independent expert advice on scientific, technical, and policy matters. The public and Congress regularly show interest in these advisory committees (ACs), especially the screening for conflicts of interest and the use of waivers for some conflicts. Although the agency has taken a variety of steps to increase transparency and predictability of its ACs, FDA continues to seek opportunities to assess its advisory committee program for future improvement efforts.