Interest grows in Obama’s recommendation for head of FDA
November 6th, 2008 joshua
Drugmakers and consumer advocates are both anxious to hear who President-elect Barack Obama will recommend to head the Food and Drug Administration, according to Reuters.
Under current-President George W. Bush, the office of Commissioner at the FDA has been vacant, and drug companies have run rampant flaunting the lack of the regulatory agency’s power.
The FDA looked a shambles through numerous drug controversies and high-profile food poisoning outbreaks.
A contender for that job, according to Reuters, is Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, who oversees the Baltimore Health Department. He told Reuters, “What’s important is that the agency has credibility … that’s important not just for consumers but also for industry.”
The Obama administration will have to work to erase the tainted reputation Bush will leave the regulatory agency. Its current commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach is expected to step down once Obama is sworn-in in two months.
Some experts believe that appointing a medical doctor to the post could provide some credibility when the FDA needs to make recommendations to Congress.
“The FDA’s going to have to re-earn the trust of the public,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director for the consumer group Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, told Reuters.
Drugmakers told Reuters they are anxious for the FDA to regain some stability. A VP at Merck told Reuters it is important for the next head of the FDA to have the trust of Congress and President Obama.
