Advisory Committees provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with independent expertise and advice on scientific, technical, and policy matters. These panels are generally made up of around a dozen members including medical and scientific experts, and patient advocacy representatives. Membership typically includes one (voting) member representing consumer viewpoints and one (non-voting) member representing industry viewpoints. The Advisory Committee is often asked questions related to a product review – not necessarily whether the product should be approved, rather certain aspects of the approval package. While these committees do not determine how FDA will act (e.g., whether or not a new is approved) they provide the FDA with external recommendations and perspectives, helping regulators to better understand how the product or related topics are viewed by stakeholders.

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee, or ODAC, is the advisory committee responsible for making recommendations concerning development and approval of cancer drugs. Its membership includes experts in general oncology, pediatric oncology, hematologic oncology, immunologic oncology, biostatistics, and other related fields.

You can find more information about ODAC here.