Califf wins Senate approval as new chief at FDA

Markey, one of MA two senators, said he is voting against the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to head the Food and Drug Administration, the agency responsible for the safety of all prescription drugs in the United States.

The Columbia, S.C., native was nominated to the post by President Barack Obama last September, but concerns about his ties to the pharmaceutical industry and some of the FDA’s practices tied up his confirmation.

“The FDA has been operating without a confirmed commissioner for the past year, and I applaud the Senate’s confirmation of Dr. Califf”, Graham said.

Similarly, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) also sent a letter to encourage the Commissioner to “continue the agency’s recent enforcement actions taken in conjunction with the Department of Justice to help rid the marketplace of the most egregious companies defaming our industry and posing the highest risk to consumers”, wrote CRN President Steve Mister. In speeches on the Senate floor over several days, they appealed to their colleagues to vote against Califf, arguing the agency he had been tapped to run had approved too numerous opioid drugs and had ignored the advice of its own expert panels, which have occasionally recommended against approval. He replaces Margaret Hamburg, who resigned in March after leading FDA for six years.

Robert Califf, a seasoned cardiologist and academic researcher, is the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Funding for some of that research came from big drug makers, including Eli Lily and Merck, which led Democratic presidential candidate Sen. “The discussion is important, and it needs to be had”, he said.

Before joining the FDA in February 2015, Califf was the vice chancellor of clinical and translational research at Duke University. The Senate earlier this week voted 80-6 in favor of a procedural motion to limit further debate on the nomination and prevent any legislator from blocking a vote on the matter. Markey added that it’s not just about Dr. Califf, but about the FDA.

Despite the opposition, Califf’s nomination enjoyed wide Republican support in a year in which many of Obama’s nominees have been held up.

FDA is the country’s regulatory agency that approves everything from cosmetics, food and drugs to cigarettes and dietary supplements. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who is running for president, also opposed the nomination but did not leave the campaign trail for the vote. Stephen Ostroff, previously the FDA’s chief scientist, has served as acting commissioner since her departure.