FDA OFFICE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE RELATIONS TO BE HEADED BY JACK MARTIN

FDA OFFICE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE RELATIONS TO BE HEADED BY JACK MARTIN, special assistant to the commissioner and former associate commissioner for public affairs under FDA Commissioner Frank Young. Other office staff will include Mary Ann Danello, currently special assistant to the commissioner for science, and public affairs staffer Elizabeth Wright. The formation of the office was announced by FDA Acting Commissioner Benson at the May 17 meeting of the FDA blue ribbon panel. FDA will send out letters next month to regulated industry, including individual companies as well as trade associations, announcing the formal establishment of the office and detailing the office's responsibilities. The Office of Industry and Trade Relations will be a source for the industry of information on FDA regulations, policy, and legislation, FDA noted. Currently there is no single source of such information at FDA. The office will also disseminate information from the industry to the commissioner and the centers. However, the office will not serve as ombudsman to companies, FDA said. The role of the office is not to field complaints or solve problems between FDA and companies, but to serve as an "out basket" of agency information, FDA remarked. FDA plans to send staff from the office to trade shows and association meetings to promote better relations with industry. In addition, the office will concentrate on developing better communications with small businesses and insuring that information on FDA policy is reaches them.