Peer Review of OBP Research Division of Monoclonal Antibodies Kathleen A. Clouse, Ph.D. Acting Director Division of Monoclonal Antibodies OBP/OPS/CDER/FDA
Discussion Topics Researcher/Reviewer Model (PCE) Committee Program Monitoring External Scientific Review Promotion and Conversion Evaluation (PCE) Committee
Researcher/Reviewer Model Conduct research relevant to FDA mission - On specific products (mechanism of action, toxicity, surrogate measures of efficacy) - Related to product class/disease/therapeutic modality - Associated with the development of methods & standards by which products can be prepared Perform regulatory review - INDs/BLAs Contribute to policy development
Funding of OBP Research Majority of funding provided at the OBP level from Operating Funds and distributed on a per capita basis Additional funds distributed by OBP based on Research Prioritization Competitive funding through CDER Review Science & Research (RSR) program Competitive funding through OWH grants Competitive funding through NIH Intramural grants (AIDS, CBT) CRADAs and Inter-Agency agreements
Program Monitoring Lab Chief Division Director - Does not determine research focus; helps assess research productivity of principle investigators - Evaluates ability to perform regulatory review Division Director - Discusses scientific productivity and regulatory abilities at least twice per year Office Director/Associate Director for Research - Assess scientific productivity via publications External Scientific Review
Purpose of External Scientific Review Determine relevance of research program to FDA mission Evaluate research productivity Assess regulatory contribution Provide input regarding resource allocations
External Scientific Review Frequency - Every 4 years (ideally) Research Group Reviewed - All Principal Investigators (PI) within a specific research lab Site Visit Committee - Chair: Member of parent Advisory Committee (previously BRMAC; currently CTGTAC) - 1 or 2 external scientists with relevant research expertise for each PI under review
External Scientific Review Format Committee reviews scientific program Preliminary written report sent to Center for review Ratification of report by Advisory Committee Copy of official report provided to Center/ Office Directors and individual reports given to scientists under review
Use of Site Visit Report For tenure/conversion (within 2 years) For promotion (GS-14/15; within 4 years) As supporting documentation for internal grant applications
Promotion & Conversion Evaluation (PCE) Committee Purpose - Conversion of Staff Fellows to tenured civil service research/regulatory positions - Promote tenured civil service research/regulatory scientists to the next grade level Committee Members - 2 tenured PIs from each research/review Office - 1 Full-time reviewer - 1 representative from OPM - 1 representative from CBER OD
Promotion & Conversion Evaluation (PCE) Committee Guidances for promotion/conversion - General: CBER “Guide for the Evaluation of research/regulatory scientists from GS-13 to GS-15” - Research Grade Evaluation Guide (from the General Schedule Position Classification Guides) Additional information requested - Publication summary - Regulatory summary & review examples - External review report - Letters of recommendation from experts outside FDA familiar with investigator’s research
Use of Site Visit and PCE Committee Systems for Promotions/Conversions Current advantages - Scientific/technical positions are evaluated by scientists familiar with activities performed - Scientific community expected to have greater confidence in decisions made by peer scientists Current disadvantages - Cost to OBP/OPS/CDER (SV & PCE) - Difficult to coordinate Site Visits across Centers (SV) - Change in expertise of Advisory Committee (SV) - Differences in regulatory workload (PCE) - Differences in systems for performing review (PCE)