President chooses Califf to lead FDA, despite his drug industry ties

President Joe Biden announced Friday that he would nominate Dr. Robert Califf, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, to lead the agency again. His decision ends nearly a year of political wrangling as the White House vetted then dropped several candidates after complaints that some were too close to the pharmaceutical industry.

In the end, White House officials might have concluded that they could not find a suitable candidate with no industry ties. Califf, 70, a respected academic and clinical trial researcher who ran the agency during the last year of the Obama administration, has long been a consultant to drug companies and ran a research center at Duke University that received some funding from the drug industry.

The agency is sorely in need of permanent leadership. Since Margaret Hamburg, who served as commissioner for most of the Obama administration, left in 2015, the FDA has had seven commissioners — some acting, some permanent — including Califf, who served for just 11 months after Hamburg’s departure. And recently, its reputation for independence has come under attack.

The FDA has been front and center in the federal government’s response to the pandemic. It has the authority to approve COVID19 vaccines, tests and treatments, as well as certain types of protective equipment. It also was criticized widely for allowing manufacturers to flood the market with inaccurate COVID19 tests early in the pandemic and for failing to stand up to Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, who at times promoted unproven and unsafe treatments.

The White House gave the nomination low-key treatment. Biden announced his decision in a written statement, forgoing the fanfare of an appearance with the would-be commissioner. And he made the announcement while Congress was out of session, which kept complaints from lawmakers to a minimum.

“Dr. Califf is one of the most experienced clinical trialists in the country, and has the experience and expertise to lead the Food and Drug Administration during a critical time in our nation’s fight to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic,” Biden said in a statement. “As the FDA considers many consequential decisions around vaccine approvals and more, it is mission critical that we have a steady, independent hand to guide the FDA.”