Posted by Michael Wonder on 14 Jun 2021
The FDA still lacks a permanent chief, despite pressing, weighty problems
12 June 2021 - With the pandemic easing, the federal agency’s long-term agenda for drug approvals or new issues is languishing without a permanent commissioner.
The contested decision by the FDA earlier this week to approve a drug to treat Alzheimer’s has renewed concerns about the Biden administration’s prolonged delay in choosing a permanent commissioner to lead the agency.
It has also once again exposed the sharp divide between supporters and detractors of the FDA’s interim commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the longtime chief of the agency’s drug division who has seemed to be on an extended tryout for the top post.
