President Obama, please retain Commissioner Hamburg

摘要

With the re-election of President Obama in the US, many people are sitting back and assuming that the Food and Drug Administration won't change much. It doesn't need to: Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is doing a good job; the agency is moving forward to improve food, drug and device safety; more rational and predictable review processes are being implemented; and there are at least three relatively new laws that need ongoing attention. However, year five of an incumbent presidency almost always involves changes in personnel and policies, not the continuity one might expect. The FDA may not be touched, but it seems short-sighted to think there won't be any changes. And that could start at the top with Commissioner Hamburg.