Nearly 40% of FDA advisory committee meetings reportedly included patient or consumer reps tied to pharma-funded advocacy groups

A Health Affairs Scholar analysis found 38% of FDA advisory committee meetings from 2013 through 2022 included a patient or consumer representative actively involved with a pharmaceutical-funded advocacy group. In 11% of meetings, the representative’s organization received funding from the sponsor of the drug under review. The study measured organizational ties, not whether they influenced votes or FDA decisions.