Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Chief Margaret Hamburg Announces Departure Plans
The Associated Press: Outgoing FDA Chief Saw Changes To Food Safety, Tobacco Rules
From food safety to tobacco regulation and politically charged drug approvals, Margaret Hamburg reset the course of the embattled Food and Drug Administration. After nearly six years as FDA commissioner, Hamburg announced her resignation Thursday in an email to staff. She said the agency’s chief scientist, Stephen Ostroff, will serve as acting head of FDA. (2/5)
NPR: FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg To Step Down
FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg — who has been at the center of controversial decisions such as relaxing age restrictions on the Plan B contraceptive — has decided to step down after six years in the job. In a letter to FDA staff, Hamburg called the tenure "the most rewarding of my career." She cited, among other things, the agency's record in improving food safety, advancing the safety and effectiveness of medical products, reducing the time for pre-market reviews of medical devices as highlights of her six years at the FDA's helm. (Neuman, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: The Hamburg Legacy At FDA: Accomplishments And Controversies
Has the other shoe dropped? Following mounting speculation, FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg has told staffers that she will step down at the end of March, after a nearly six-year run heading the agency. The news comes just 10 days after the FDA hired Robert Califf, a widely regarded Duke University cardiologist, as deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco. That move quickly set off speculation that Califf would, in fact, soon succeed Hamburg, since he starts his new job later this month. (Silverman, 2/5)
Politico: FDA Chief Stepping Down
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, who has overseen food and drug safety for nearly six years, will leave at the end of March, she announced in an email to agency staff Thursday morning. Her departure message focused on the agency’s accomplishments in food safety, the approval of drugs and devices and ushering in an era of personalized medicine. She also lauded the new “breakthrough pathway,” which allows the Food and Drug Administration to speed up review of drugs or biologics to help individuals with serious illnesses. (Pradhan, 2/5)
CQ Healthbeat: Hamburg Will Leave FDA In March As Agency Feels Pressure To Speed Approvals
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg will resign her post in late March after six years at the agency, leaving it without a leader as congressional Republicans press efforts to speed approvals of novel medical treatments. In a letter to colleagues sent Thursday morning, Hamburg wrote that she was leaving the agency with "mixed feelings." The White House is expected to announce her departure Friday. (Gustin, 2/5)
