FDA Commissioner Confirmation Clears The Way For Personnel Changes

The confirmation of FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford will allow for a reorganization of upper level management at the agency.

Crawford is expected to flesh out the immediate Office of the Commissioner by naming new senior advisors.

Crawford's second stint leading FDA on an acting basis ended with his July 18 Senate confirmation to the permanent post.

Upon the confirmation of a permanent commissioner, the temporary structure of three acting deputy commissioners put in place following the departure of former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan in March 2004 will likely be replaced.

The first senior level official to be named under Crawford's tenure as permanent commissioner could be a successor to FDA Deputy Commissioner for Policy Amit Sachdev. Sachdev's position has been vacant since he left the agency three months ago (¹ 'The Tan Sheet' March 28, 2005, In Brief).

A replacement for Sachdev is expected to come from outside the agency.

Crawford's confirmation also creates the possibility that several other high-level agency staff with acting titles could move into permanent positions.

Deputy Commissioner for Operations Janet Woodcock and Deputy Commissioner for Special Programs Murray Lumpkin have held their positions on an acting basis under the transitional three-deputy structure (² (Also see "McClellan Leaves For CMS As Crawford Heads Reorganized FDA" - Pink Sheet, 23 Feb, 2004.), p. 7).

Steven Galson has been serving as acting director of the Center for Drug Evaluation & Research since October 2003, when CDER Director Woodcock began a detail in the Office of the Commissioner (³ (Also see "CDER Deputy Galson Will Run Drug Center For At Least Six Months" - Pink Sheet, 13 Oct, 2003.), p.7)

A confirmed commissioner also gives FDA the opportunity to move forward on a number of delayed initiatives (see ⁴ (Also see "Crawford Confirmation Expected To Move Issues Off The Back Burner" - Pink Sheet, 25 Jul, 2005.)).