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Analysis finds patient reps on FDA panels often tied to pharma-funded groups

10/13/2026

An analysis published in Health Affairs Scholar found that nearly 40% of Food and Drug Administration advisory committee meetings over a 20-year period included a patient or consumer representative with active ties to advocacy groups funded by pharmaceutical companies.

For several committees, the proportion of such representatives exceeded 50%.

The study also identified that more than one in 10 meetings featured a representative affiliated with an organization that received funding from the specific drugmaker whose medicine was under review.

Most of these organizational connections were not disclosed during the meetings, which raises questions about voting behavior.