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National Brain Tumor Society Statement on Confirmation of Dr. Robert M. Califf as FDA Commissioner

Published on February 24, 2016 in Press Release

On Wednesday, February 24, 2016, Dr. Robert M. Califf, formerly of Duke University, was officially confirmed as the new Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA had been operating without a permanent commissioner since Dr. Margaret Hamburg left the post in March of 2015.

David F. Arons, JD, Chief Executive Officer of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), today issued the following statement regarding the confirmation of Dr. Robert M. Califf as commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration:

In late 2015, National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) signed onto a letter representing many patient advocacy organizations, and led by the group FasterCures, asking the Senate to quickly act on Dr. Robert M. Califf’s nomination to head the FDA. We are pleased that today the Senate officially confirmed Dr. Califf as commissioner of this vital agency. The FDA had been operating without a permanent commissioner since Dr. Margaret Hamburg left the post in March of 2015, and Dr. Califf is a qualified and capable successor.

NBTS believes that in order to fulfill their critical role in evaluating and approving potential new treatments for brain tumor patients, the FDA needs to have stable, consistent leadership. A permanent commissioner is critical to the management and efficiency of the FDA, and Dr. Califf’s confirmation satisfies the need for stability.

NBTS congratulates Dr. Califf on his confirmation and we look forward to continuing our work with the FDA to help accelerate the development of new and effective brain tumor treatments.

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