NCI Director von Eschenbach to Also Serve as Interim FDA Commissioner

September 26, 2005—With the resignation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, D.V.M., Ph.D., on Friday, September 23, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., has agreed to also serve as FDA Commissioner on an acting basis. Dr. von Eschenbach said that he believes he can bring a “full commitment” to the leadership of both agencies, and he is “totally, completely, and absolutely dedicated” to his role at NCI.

After taking on this role at FDA, Dr. von Eschenbach said he would like to examine whether the drug-review process needs changes to “streamline and accelerate” the approval of promising new therapies and how the push to make new treatments available is sometimes in conflict with the safety data. “I believe very strongly that science has to drive and is the driver of our knowledge and our understanding, and therefore of our decisions,” Dr. von Eschenbach said. “Where science is incomplete, we continue to believe that under any circumstances, do no harm.” He also praised his colleagues at FDA, calling the agency the “gold standard” for the regulation of food and health care, saying that he would continue many of the initiatives already in place at the agency while looking for ways to improve operations.

Dr. Crawford, a veterinarian and expert on food safety, was named FDA Deputy Commissioner in early 2002, before becoming acting commissioner of the agency in March 2004. Dr. Crawford was confirmed by the Senate to be FDA Commissioner on July 18, 2005. His stint at the agency has been characterized by disputes over many issues, including the safety of painkillers like Vioxx, the regulation of heart defibrillators and other devices, and delays in deciding whether to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptives.

Several policymakers on Capitol Hill have reacted positively to Dr. Crawford’s departure from FDA. Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), an outspoken critic of current FDA policies, wants the new commissioner to reform the agency make it more consumer-oriented. “FDA scientists and employees are by and large hardworking and committed to fulfilling the agency's mission,” he said. “They deserve a commissioner who will reinvigorate the agency.”

Dr. von Eschenbach was named NCI Director on December 6, 2001. He came to NCI from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where he was director of the Genitourinary Cancer Center and director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program. He also served as vice president for academic affairs at MD Anderson and as executive vice president and chief academic officer, leading a faculty of almost 1,000 cancer researchers and clinicians. It is too early in the process to say whether Dr. von Eschenbach would be nominated to serve as the FDA's permanent commissioner.

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