New FDA Commissioner
Posted By Lin on June 4, 2009
Dr. Margaret Hamburg was unanimously confirmed by the senate on May 8 to become the new Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) http://www.fda.gov/ . Hamburg’s background includes serving a 6 year term as New York City’s health commissioner, the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in the US Department of Health and Human Services and recently, senior scientist at the nuclear threat initiative.
Earlier in May US Senator Ted Kennedy said Dr. Hamburg is “widely respected for her expertise in community health, bio-defense, and nuclear, biological, and chemical preparedness.” He also said that she “will face many challenges as FDA Commissioner, and she is obviously well-qualified to deal with them.”
The FDA finds itself in reaction mode as recent outbreaks of food borne illness and drug recalls spur lack of confidence in the agencies effectiveness. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein and new FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg are expected to work to restore credibility to the FDA by acting with integrity and making decisions based on the best available scientific evidence, not on political influence.
Commissioner Hamburg said her top priority is to develop a vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus, followed by an overhaul of the food safety system.
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