Undisclosed conflicts among FDA cancer hearing speakers

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee advises FDA about medication for treating cancer. The personalities of the speakers that talk at the committee meetings can influence the characteristics of decisions, as demonstrated by prior research. A new study examined these characteristics, as well as financial associations, to paint a clearer picture of the committee’s decisions. Researchers looked at meetings from 2009 through 2014 and reviewed the transcripts. They then analyzed the speakers and tagged comments as favorable, neutral, or negative toward marketing approval.