Washington, Nov 12 (Bureau) President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Robert Califf to be the next chief of the US Food and Drug Administration, the White House said on Friday. “Dr. Robert 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,” the White House quoted Biden in a release.
The US president noted that the FDA makes decisions with respect to vaccine approval and that is why its mission is critical. “I am confident Dr. Califf will ensure that the FDA continues its science and data drive decision-making. Dr. Califf had strong bipartisan support in the Senate in 2016, and I urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Dr. Califf so he can continue the important work being done at this critical moment,” Biden said. Califf is an expert in clinical trial research, health care quality and cardiovascular medicine, and has served as FDA Commissioner from 2016-2017. He presently works as head of clinical policy at the Verily Life Sciences research organization.