FDA’s Chief Scientist Says Hybrid In-Person/Virtual AdComms May Be Coming

Improving FDA advisory committee procedures and combatting misinformation are two important goals for FDA’s Chief Scientist Namandjé N. Bumpus who shared some insights from her first year of work during an informational “fireside chat” sponsored by the Alliance for a Stronger FDA on Wednesday.

Bumpus, formerly chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, received her FDA appointment in June 2022.

Before the COVID pandemic curtailed travel and public gatherings, all advisory committee meetings were conducted at the FDA’s White Oak, Md., campus. During the pandemic, the FDA switched to an all-virtual meeting system. But, Bumpus said, while the online venue is convenient, it lacks the benefits that come along with face-to-face interactions, and it might be time to bring those back into the process.

“I think that we likely will see hybrid meetings” that allow members to either attend in person or virtually, Bumpus said. “We do need this kind of flexibility.”

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