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# Bill Would Prevent Conflicting FDA Consultant Contracts
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/bill-would-prevent-conflicting-fda-consultant-contracts/
- Published: 2022-03-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T17:38:18.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5151465

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman **Gary Peters** (D-MI), has introduced legislation to help prevent conflicts of interest, such as the one Congress has been investigating — FDA’s consulting contracts with McKinsey & Co. on regulatory actions involving opioids while the company was also advising opioid maker Purdue Pharma ([see earlier story](https://www.fdaweb.com/senators-want-info-on-fda-relationship-with-mckinsey-in-opioid-crisis/)).

ThePreventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act would require federal contractors to disclose other business relationships with entities that conflict with the work that an agency like FDA has retained them to do. “Private companies currently under contract with the U.S. government would also have to disclose new potential business that opposes ongoing services they are providing to the American people,” Peters is quoted in a [release](https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-to-prevent-conflicts-of-interest-in-federal-contracting?ref=fdaweb.com) as saying. “The bill would ensure federal contractors are aware of disclosure requirements and how working with agencies could impact other parts of their business. Finally, the legislation requires federal agencies to assess and update their procedures for determining whether contractors could have a conflict of interest.”

Peters said FDA paid McKinsey more than $140 million dollars since 2008 to help support their oversight work of pharmaceutical companies – including determining the safety and efficacy of prescription pain medications. “At the same time, McKinsey had not disclosed to the FDA that they were also consulting for several opioid manufacturers on how these companies could effectively market their products,” he said. “This has called into question whether consultants from McKinsey were providing biased advice to the FDA, and whether that advice was influenced by their relationship with the drug makers whose business practices are a root cause of the opioid epidemic.”