Although he has spent most of his career in academia, Califf is deeply versed in FDA issues, especially the clinical testing of drugs and medical devices. Califf also served as the director of the university’s cardiac care unit.
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Califf joined the FDA back in February following a stint as vice chancellor of clinical and translational research at Duke University.
He has served in a number professional organizations, including committees of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM), the IOM Clinical Research Roundtable, the IOM Committee on Medication Errors, and the IOM Board on Health Sciences Policy.
He added, “I look forward to hearing from Dr. Califf specifically on how we can move medical discoveries more rapidly through the FDA and other agencies and get safe treatments and drugs into Americans’ medicine cabinets”.
When Califf spoke to The Chronicle in January after being tapped as deputy commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco, he noted that he hoped to address the increase in electronic health records and improve the FDA’s clinical trial process.
During Hamburg’s tenure, legislation was passed to overhaul the USA food safety system and to let the FDA begin regulating tobacco products for the first time.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Califf will replace Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who resigned earlier this year after almost six years as FDA Commissioner to take a job with the Institute of Medicine as its foreign secretary. He came from Duke University where he was a cardiologist.
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He may however face questioning over links to industry, having disclosed considerable consulting fees and research funding from pharma companies – including just about all the top 10 drug firms – before joining the agency. Now the FDA’s chief scientist, Dr Stephen Ostroff, is serving as acting head of the agency.
