Head of FDA to resign on date of inauguration

NEW YORK Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach plans to resign effective Jan. 20, 2009, according to a report published Monday in the Wall Street Journal.

Citing an internal message sent Monday to FDA officials, the Journal reported von Eschenbach will work closely with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team “to ensure a seamless change in political leadership at the agency. As with any transition, there will likely be changes for other senior managers as well, although all current deputy commissioners and the chief of staff are career civil servants who have served me and FDA well.”