The latest rumor on Capitol Hill is that the FDA’s current acting commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach, will soon be nominated to take over the job permanently. FDANews attributes this report to “several industry sources” who have “applauded the move as a step toward reforming the FDA’s drug-safety and approval programs.”
Von Eschenbach has served as acting commissioner since late September 2005 when former Commissioner Crawford abrubtly resigned under suspicious circumstances. For the FDANews article, click here.
Ides of March update: According to today’s FDA Drug News Daily email newsletter, von Eschenbach’s dual role as acting FDA commissioner and head of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) may hinder his nomination. And, in other news, the same publication reports that HHS’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has launched an investigation into Former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford’s resignation, and that his resignation may have had something to do with the fact that he sold more than $50,000 worth of shares in the medical device firm Teleflex one month before he abruptly resigned from the agency.
About Joel Rothman
Joel B. Rothman represents clients in intellectual property infringement litigation involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, defamation, trade libel, unfair competition, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and commercial matters. Joel’s litigation practice also includes significant focus on electronic discovery issues such as e-discovery management and motion practice relating to e-discovery.
