FDA Utilizing Advisory Panels Less Than Previously
According to a letter published in the medical journal, The Lancet, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only followed the recommendations of advisory committees about new drugs 72% of the time between 2000 and 2004. Researchers with the Public Citizen Health Research Group, only about a quarter of brand-new drugs approved between 2000 and 2006 were even reviewed by an advisory panel. By comparison, 50% of new drugs were reviewed by an advisory panel in 1999.
