Blood Products Advisory Committee

COTT was pleased to learn that Corey Dubin, President and Board Chair of COTT, has been appointed again to the consumer representative seat on the FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC). Corey was originally appointed to a term on the committee in 1995, just after the Institute of Medicine's report HIV and the Blood Supply: An Analysis of Crisis Decisionmaking -- calling for increased consumer voice on committees such as this one.

It was then-FDA Commissioner David Kessler who specifically instructed the committee's staff secretary to declare a consumer seat and place Mr. Dubin in it. His service there -- despite much early skepticism by the academic and industry-linked other members -- paved the way for all subsequent consumer representation, on BPAC and also on the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability, in the DHHS Office of the Secretary (on which Corey Dubin has also served).

For the second year in a row, COTT has served on the FDA committee to review nominations for Consumer Representative seats on all FDA Advisory Committees.