FDA's starting lineup

Some of the 16 diseases FDA picked for its first round of public meetings under its Patient-Focused Drug Development initiative are obvious choices where it is not hard to imagine why the agency would need patient feedback. Others are genuine head-scratchers, and at least one surprised its own patient advocates with its inclusion.

FDA declined to discuss its rationale for the specific diseases it chose for the first round of meetings, which will be held over fiscal 2013-15. A second round of four disease-focused meetings is planned for FY16-FY17, bringing the total to 20, and the agency has said it has additional ways of addressing patient concerns in diseases not picked for the meetings...