Bush Taps von Eschenbach for Head of FDA

On March 15, President George W. Bush nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to be the newest commissioner of food and drugs at the Department of Health and Human Services. When former FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford announced his resignation in Sept. 2005, only two months after his confirmation, von Eschenbach was appointed acting commissioner. This makes von Eschenbach this administration's third FDA commissioner, following Crawford and Mark McClellan.

In addition to his FDA post, von Eschenbach currently serves as director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Earlier in his career, he served as executive vice president and chief academic officer of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and as Lieutenant Commander of the United States Navy Medical Corps. He received his bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, and his M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.

Like his latest predecessor, von Eschenbach's promotion may be stalled because of controversy over FDA's position on emergency contraceptive pills. U.S. Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said they would place a hold on von Eschenbach's nomination until FDA makes a decision on over-the-counter sales of Plan B pills. The Senators are not objecting to the actual nomination, but are using the opportunity to bring the issue into the spotlight, a tactic that can result in a lengthy approval process for the position.

Announcing the nomination, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt praised von Eschenbach: "Andy is an inspired choice to provide permanent leadership at this critical agency. His career has been defined by his vision for progress in research and passion for the care of patientstwo qualities which will serve the agency and the American public well. FDA needs permanent leadership to spur more innovation, improve drug safety, and help life-saving drugs reach patients faster. Andy understands these needs and will provide leadership to get the job done."

Among the food-related issues that von Eschenbach has earmarked are protecting the nations food supply from terrorist attack, and establishing new user fees for plant reinspections when manufacturers fail to meet GMP and other FDA requirements. To protect the food supply, the agency plans to develop improved methods to screen imported food and feed, and to expand the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), a network of federal and state laboratories designed to ensure a sufficient, timely response to an attack on the food system.