Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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FDA Talk Papers are prepared by the Press Office to guide FDA personnel in responding with consistency and accuracy to questions from the public on subjects of current interest. Talk Papers are subject to change as more information becomes available.
T00-27 Print Media: 301-827-6242
June 8, 2000
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
The FDA announced today that it will collaborate with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association on research into mobile phone safety.
Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) signed today, the FDA will provide research recommendations and research oversight and the CTIA will fund research into the health effects of radio frequency (RF) emissions from wireless phones. The research itself will be conducted by third parties.
Initial research will include both laboratory studies and studies of mobile phone users focused on whether RF emissions from mobile phones pose any health risk. The CRADA will also include a broad assessment of additional research needs in the context of research developments around the world.
Although research to date does not show that mobile phones pose a significant health hazard, there is not enough information at this point to be absolutely certain that these products are without risk. Certain studies conducted by the Wireless Technology Research, L.L.C (WTR), on behalf of the wireless phone industry have raised questions that need further exploration. (See Consumer Update on Mobile Phones: www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/mobilphone.html.)
FDA will review the WTR research, as well as other cell phone research, identify the scientific questions which merit attention, propose research to address those questions, and provide detailed recommendations on the conduct of the studies.
The CTIA will then issue requests for proposals for the studies from third parties interested in conducting the research.
FDA will review the study proposals from the third parties and make recommendations on selection. FDA will also oversee the development of the study protocols once the proposals are selected and then review the progress of the ongoing studies. After the research is completed, FDA will review the results and issue a report to the CTIA.
The research will be conducted over the next three to five years. FDA will convene meetings of an internationally-renowned group of scientists to help in oversight of the research. Meetings of the group will be announced in the Federal Register.
Today's agreement reflects FDA's continued efforts to assure that thorough research is conducted on mobile phones.
The full research agreement is available on FDA's web site at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/wlessphonecrada.html.
Office of Public Affairs
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