Senate Confirms Hamburg as FDA Commissioner

The Senate on Monday by voice vote confirmed Margaret Hamburg as FDA commissioner, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/18). As commissioner, Hamburg is expected to immediately begin working on the agency's response to the H1N1 flu virus. She also has said she wants to overhaul the agency's food safety efforts. According to CongressDaily, Hamburg hopes to restore confidence in the agency, which has experienced controversy surrounding drug and food safety issues in recent years (CongressDaily, 5/19). Hamburg is the 21st FDA commissioner and the second woman to hold the position in FDA's 100-year history (AP/Washington Post, 5/19).