Statement of Dr. Diana Zuckerman At the FDA General and Plastic Surgery Devices Advisory Panel on ProSense Cryoablation System

November 7, 2024: We testified at an FDA Advisory Panel meeting to advise FDA whether ProSense Cryoablation can replace lumpectomy for older women with very early, low-risk breast cancer. This technique can freeze and destroy a tumor in a few minutes but the research was not well-designed to determine if it is as safe as lumpectomy, and if so, for which types of patients.

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Testimony of Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition at Patient Engagement Device Advisory Committee Meeting

October 30, 2024: Tess Robertson Neel testified at the FDA Patient Engagement Device Advisory Panel on behalf of the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition regarding informed consent. We support the FDA’s proposed improvements, suggests a short, easy to read checklist format to improve fully informed consent, and highlights the need to enforce FDA recommendations or improve incentives for compliance.

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Testimony of Laura Lytle at the FDA Patient Engagement Device Advisory Committee Meeting

October 30, 2024: NCHR’s Laura Lytle testified at the FDA Patient Engagement Device Advisory Panel meeting in support of the FDA’s proposed guidance for informed consent, but suggested 4 key areas for improvement: using a short, simple checklist to ensure that patients understand the risks; focusing on informed consent as a process not a document; simple summaries of key information; and ensuring patient privacy.

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NCHR Public Comment on Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies

September 26, 2024: NCHR appreciates the improvements made in the 2024 FDA draft guidance for Diversity Action Plans but the draft lacks incentives to encourage companies to comply. The indication and label should reflect the evidence for sex, race, ethnicity, and ages of patients studied. Approval should only be for patients for whom clear evidence of safety and effectiveness was provided.

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