Subject:   Disbandment of NHRPAC
Date:   2002-09-04

We inform you that (NHRPAC), the National Human Research Protections Advisory Committee, which advised the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the head of the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) – on ways to best protect citizens enrolled in medical experimentation – has been disbanded by the Bush Adminstration. The group of some 17 people, with six working subgroups of 5-10 people each, has been allowed to expire after a two year mandate – established in December 1999 by Secretary Shalala. As far as we know, no reason for the action has been given. This is happening at a time when the issue of human subject protection is becoming a national one – as there have been many recent high profile cases of harm to research subjects and congressional hearings on the matter.

The advisory group was composed of highly qualified people in the field who were donating their time to help insure that human subjects (including vulnerable children and decisionally incapacited people) were protected in medical experiments.

The action is particularly regretable as the advisory group and their subgroups were in the midst of their work and recomendations, having spent hours of time in conducting public meetings, including considerable e-mail correspondence, private meetings and conference calls within each subgroup.

While unfortunate, we hope that these issues will continue to be addressed in a forum that will exhibit the same level of committment that the advisory group had, and include representation from diverse groups to insure that vulnerable citizens are protected.

Michael A. Susko MS, CIRCARE President
(410) 499-4895

Adil Shamoo Ph.D., CIRCARE Co-Founder
(410) 706-3327

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Last Updated: 2006-03-04

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