October 5, 2026
Dear Colleague,
The FDA works to safeguard the public against potential health risks, ensures the safety and efficacy of medical products, and the safety of our nation’s food supply and cosmetics. Your partnership, knowledge, and engagement in the public health space are appreciated.
Sincerely,
The Office of Public Engagement MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting ProgramThe FDA’s medical product safety reporting program for health professionals, patients, and consumers, MedWatch, receives reports from the public and when appropriate, publishes safety alerts for FDA-regulated products. The most recent alerts/recalls are here:
UpdatesSpotlightThe FDA announced a broad, nationwide recruitment effort to expand the range of qualified voices and perspectives on its advisory committees— the independent bodies that inform some of the most consequential decisions in American public health. As part of an effort to broaden and strengthen participation on its advisory committees, the FDA is publishing two Federal Register notices: one seeking qualified scientific, technical, and professional voting members across all committees with current or anticipated vacancies, and a companion notice seeking consumer representatives to ensure the public’s voice is at the table. FDA VoicesBy: Lowell M. Zeta, JD, Acting Chief of Staff, Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives and Special Counsel | Transparency — a key component of any healthy government agency — is especially relevant in the context of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mission to protect public health. Visibility into the FDA’s work and reasoning helps drive informed decision-making for stakeholders across the healthcare landscape, including patients considering whether to enroll in a clinical trial, families and caregivers weighing treatment options, clinicians interpreting labeling, and investors deciding where to allocate capital. |
Guidance DocumentsYou can search for documents using key words, and you can narrow or filter your results by product, date issued, FDA organizational unit, type of document, subject, draft or final status, and comment period. Meetings, Conferences and WorkshopsDate: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026; 1 - 2 p.m. ET
The FDA will host a town hall for industry and other interested parties to discuss toxicological risk assessments to address biocompatibility endpoints for medical devices. Specifically, this town hall will discuss methods and issues for conducting toxicological risk assessments to support biocompatibility endpoints per FDA-recognized standards and examples of common deviations. Public meetings involving the FDA: Upcoming events, past meetings, meeting materials, and transcripts ICYMI!About UsThe Office of Public Engagement resides within the Office of the Commissioner and falls under the Office of Public Affairs. We aim to build stronger relationships with health professional organizations, patients and patient advocacy organizations, consumer groups, trade associations, think tanks and academia, and other interested parties, in order to better inform our policy making process, identify policy hurdles or misconceptions, and create strategic collaborations. For more information, please contact us at: PublicEngagement@fda.hhs.gov. For patient specific inquiries, please contact us at: Patients Ask FDA. |
