Strong workforce and science-based decision making are key issues for new FDA Commissioner 

On March 4, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee listened to Dr. Califf’s first testimony as FDA Commissioner. The hearing was short, lasting only 45 minutes, because of scheduled Senate votes but Dr. Califf made clear that he had two priorities: building a strong, professional, well-supported FDA workforce; and strengthening science-based decision making at FDA. He mentioned four areas where new monies are going to be allocated: food safety, precision medicine, compounding, and antibiotic resistance.

The questions asked by subcommittee included rice and arsenic; tobacco “deeming” regulations; voluntary GMO labeling; opioids; and FSMA implementation planning.

Chairman Moran presented three concerns: he would like to see a veterinary medicine practitioner become the new head of the Division of Veterinary Medicine; he wants the schedule for biosimilars rules and guidelines (requested by the 2015 omnibus appropriations bill); and he wanted more information on the recent GAO report on FDA’s IT plan. Moran added that the cancer “moonshot” would have been discussed had there been more time. To that end, the Chairman suggested that there might be a subsequent hearing sometime in the next few months because of the level of interest among subcommittee members.