Newswise — On Wednesday, March 10 and Thursday, March 11, the FDA is convening an Advisory Committee meeting on the clinical trial design for long acting beta-2 adrenergic agonists (LABA’s).

Bob Lanier, M.D., executive medical director of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) will address the committee in support of the safety of LABA’s when used as recommended and is available for interviews.

Dr. Lanier is a practing allergist and past president of ACAAI and is recipeint of the ACAAI Distinguished Fellow Award. He also is a past president of the Association of Certified Allergists and the Tarrant County Medical Society. He serves on the Emerging Medical Societies taskforce and the Board of Directors for the World Allergy Association and travels extensively in that capacity.

Dr. Lanier is a clinical professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has authored over 60 original contributions to the medical literature in peer reviewed journals, has written two textbook chapters in allergy and is active in the cutting edge of respiratory research through his firm North Texas Institute for Clinical Trials, being best known for his work on monoclonal anti-IgE. He has given over 100 presentations for Medical grand rounds in universities in this country, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America in the last three years and is widely known for his dynamic, technologically advanced, and entertaining style.

Dr. Lanier founded Fort Worth Allergy and Asthma Associates in 1977 and continues in active practice at North Texas Institute for Clinical trials. He sustains a practice for the indigent and non-insured community and as medical director of Lanier Education and Research Network, a corporation devoted to educational technology and pharmaceutical research. Dr. Lanier founded the Society of Principal Investors, a professional society of physicians conducting FDA pharmaceutical trials.

A medical society committee assignment in 1980 led to his involvement locally with the NBC television affiliate where he served in a public service capacity from 1981-2001. He has appeared on “Oprah” several times, on “Nightline with Ted Koppel”, the “Today Show ”,”Nightly News with Tom Brokaw”, “Good Morning America”, “Good Morning South Africa” and “Radio Zulu”. Dr. Lanier also served as an NBC television network correspondent from 1982-1985 after which time his television segments were internationally syndicated daily to over 100 television markets and heard in over 250 radio stations in this country and worldwide through the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network. Dr. Lanier founded the National Association of Physician Broadcasters. He was honored in 1995 by the American Medical Association with the Education and Research Foundations award for public communications.

Dr. Lanier holds a B.S. degree in biology from Lamar University. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch and completed his internship at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Lanier is also the recipient of the American Medical Association's Education and Research Foundation award for public communication.