FDA transparency task force holds meeting

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Transparency TaskForce held a public meeting to “develop recommendations for enhancing the transparency of theagency’s operations and decision-making process.”1 Over 30 presenters spoke in front of theTask Force and offered suggestions on the Task Force’s responsibility. The meeting composed of11 panels with two to three presenters each. When a panel was called, each speaker was allowedfive minutes to deliver a prepared statement, and then Task Force members would follow up withquestions. An archived web cast and a list of presenters is available on the Internet athttp://wpc.0172.edgecastcdn.net/000172/fda/FDA.htm.

Many different suggestions and concerns were raised both by presenters and TaskForce members. Among the varied comments, a few noticeable consistencies existed. Below isa summary of the most prevalent themes throughout the meeting, both in the form of suggestionsfor implementation by FDA and concerns about issues that could arise due to anyimplementation.