FDA's John Harter

Pilot Drug Evaluation Staff former director, in valedictory speech before the Arthritis Drugs Advisory Committee Jan. 28, tells the group he has "been reassigned out of the commission" to a new office and that it is "clear the management would prefer that I didn't [remain involved] with rheumatology." A memo of a Jan. 7 PDES staff meeting states that Harter is being offered "a new position in the Office of Research Resources with collateral responsibilities in [FDA's] Staff College" ("The Pink Sheet" Jan. 24, T&G-2). Responding to the announcement, committee Chair George Ehrlich, MD, University of Pennsylvania, expressed his "personal regrets" over Harter's reassignment, saying he hopes "it will be reversed." Harter sees the brighter side: "I'm not sure that's the way to look at it, George. Whenever there's a change it's an opportunity to improve the process somehow." Harter spent the majority of time discussing his brainchild, the "NDA Day"