March 2015

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the removal of 4 members for the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC). In its public announcement of the TPSAC membership changes, FDA explained that a recent court ruling forced the agency to apply a new and stricter standard of conflict of interest to all TPSAC members. The court action was brought forth by the tobacco company Lorillard USA.

As a result of the court decision and its new conflict of interest standard, Chairman Jonathan Samet, Claudia Barone, Joanna Cohen, and Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin have all left the committee. These members have been replaced by Pebbles Fagan, Gary A. Giovino, and Thomas E. Novotny.

The ATS strongly disagrees with the court decision that lead to the removal of the TPSAC members. FDA is appealing the court decision. The ATS will join others in the tobacco community to file an amicus brief seeking to overturn the court decision.