PCORI Methodology Committee Named; No Private Sector PM Experts Included

The  Government Accountability Office (GAO) today announced the members of the Methodology Committee for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). We don’t  dispute the credentials of the 17 appointed members,  and we appreciate NIH Director Francis Collins’ participation on the committee. Yet it is nonetheless disappointing to see that none of these appointed members from the private sector bring expertise in personalized medicine, particularly since including experts in genomics was one of the specific fields identified in statute.  This will make it all the more important for leaders in the personalized medicine field to continue to advocate for alignment of PM and CER in development of research methods and study designs.   For the past year, the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) has been a strong advocate in support of CER that is aligned with personalized medicine.   In October, PMC submitted a letter to GAO nominating ten experts in personalized medicine from across academia and industry.   While many on the methodology committee  bring strong expertise in their research fields, the lack of in-depth expertise in genomics and personalized medicine will make it more challenging to advance research methods that are aligned with personalized medicine and recognize “advances in medical technology” as specified by statute. 

Perhaps  the PCORI Board could create an  ad hoc advisory panel focused on personalized medicine and innovation that would help to ensure that sufficient focus is brought to these important issues as PCORI  moves forward with developing research methods and priorities .   Having such a committee could help PCORI fulfill other mandates such as public engagement, stakeholder representation, and keeping the science up-to-date.