Robert Califf Confirmed to Lead FDA for Second Time
02/16/2022
The US Senate on Tuesday voted 50 to 46 in favor of confirming President Joe Biden nominee Robert Califf as commissioner of the FDA, a position he previously held under the Obama administration, according to a FiercePharma report. The cardiologist will replace acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, who stepped into the role from her position as long-time director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), when Biden took office in January 2021.
Califf's nomination came roughly 10 months after Biden was sworn in as president, prompting concerns that the long absence of a confirmed commissioner had complicated the drug regulator's ability to fulfill its mandate.