6 Challenges Facing the New FDA Commissioner

Robert Califf returns to a permanent position, but the political landscape has changed a lot since he last acted as Commissioner.

Tim HayesContributing Editor, Healthcare Packaging
Feb 18th, 2022

Last week, the Senate confirmed Robert Califf to run the FDA by a narrow vote of 50-46. Califf had previously served as the FDA Commissioner in the final months of Obama’s presidency before Janet Woodcock took over as interim chief. After a 13-month holding pattern, placing Califf as a permanent leader will hopefully bring some stability to the agency. A recent POLITICO article (well worth reading the full article) discussed 6 challenges that await Califf as he takes the reins. The include:

  1. Emergency Use Authorization
  2. User Fees
  3. Accelerated Approval Pathways
  4. Tobacco Regulation
  5. Opioids
  6. Abortion Pills
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