Crawford Confirmed as FDA Chief

In July, following a contentious hearing process, the U.S. Senate finally confirmed Lester M. Crawford, DVM, PhD, as permanent FDA commissioner. President Bush nominated Crawford to the top spot at the agency in March, but the confirmation was delayed for five months by a bipartisan group of congressional critics who questioned Crawford's leadership on a number of issues, including drug safety and approval, policy enforcement, agency staffing, and fiscal management.

Crawford came under fire for FDA's allegedly slow response to drug-safety issues involving antiarthritis Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx and Celebrex, antidepressants prescribed for children, and dietary supplements like ephedra.