Government
Acting chief nominated to FDA helm
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 28, 2005
President Bush has nominated Lester Crawford, DVM, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration since March 2004, to serve as the agency's permanent leader.
Dr. Crawford took up his current role when then FDA chief Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, moved over to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The FDA chief nominee faces lingering concerns about the recent problems with FDA approval and post-market surveillance of some prescription drugs, especially COX-2 inhibitors. Senate confirmation hearings are likely to bring up questions about the agency's relationship to industry and what needs to be done to rebuild the FDA's reputation.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/02/28/gvbf0228.htm.
