From January 2024 to July 2024, the Federation of American Scientists interviewed 30 current and former FDA Advisory Committee (AdComm) members to learn about the Advisory Committee experience and identify existing challenges and opportunities to help inform actionable policy solutions. The goal of this project was to create a vision for how the FDA and other federal agencies can better engage external scientific experts and the public to address critical challenges facing public health. Discussions included topics such as how the FDA can better leverage Advisory Committee membership through expanding the role of the chair, overall committee composition, implementing mandatory training programs, streamlining the conflict of interest process, and more.
Based on these discussions, we were able to source potential policy recommendations that may assist with enhancing the FDA’s ability to obtain valuable advice for evidence-based decision-making. The results of these discussions are presented in case studies detailing the recurring themes that emerged and policy recommendations for improvement.
FACA Toolkit
Final Report
Protecting the health and safety of the American public and ensuring that the public has the opportunity to participate in the federal decision-making process is crucial. As currently organized, FACs are not equipped to provide the best evidence-based advice.
These recommendations can catapult the Advisory Committee structure into one that continues providing the government with the best advice.
Improving public awareness of FDA Advisory Committees would improve public trust and deter misinformation related to the approval of medical products.
The absence of consistent voting privileges for patient representatives on Advisory Committees hinders representatives from providing an voice on behalf of the community they represent.
We’ve identified the key ingredients of successful moonshots that meet the moment, and developed recommendations about what future efforts can and should look like.
Complex systems – from ecological to political to socio-technical – rarely change the way we expect.
Federal data is a diverse ecosystem with well over 500,000 datasets – including those tackling Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
This is a tremendous opportunity to redefine what people expect from government, and in doing so, inspire cities across the country to raise their own ambitions. We are excited to see this initiative lead the way and look forward to cheering your success.