Vaccines Panel Chair Recuses Herself Over ‘Conflict’

FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee chair Hana El Sahly has recused herself from reviewing any upcoming pandemic vaccines because of her role overseeing a Moderna clinical trial for its vaccine candidate. Sahly (see curriculum vitae) is an associate professor of virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and she became the advisory committee’s chairwoman last year.

In July, according to Reuters, El Sahly was named one of three lead investigators for Moderna’s late-stage Covid-19 vaccine trial, which is a potential conflict of interest. Moderna says it could have enough data to demonstrate whether its vaccine is safe and effective as soon as November. If that timeline remains on track, Moderna would be one of the first companies to seek U.S. approval or emergency use for a Covid-19 vaccine.