PhRMA urges selection of new FDA commissioner

WASHINGTON The CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactureres of America issued a statement Tuesday encouraging the selection and confirmation of a new commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration.

"Dr. Frank Torti was a wise choice to lead the Food and Drug Administration on an interim basis, and PhRMA applauded this selection," PhRMA CEO Billy Tauzin said. "Torti shares PhRMA's patient-centric approach and brings a strong commitment to science-based decision-making. We look forward to president Barack Obama?s expeditious selection of a full-time leader for the FDA." 

Tauzin said the ideal candidate should have strong managerial skills essential to directing science-based activities at an expanded FDA. 

"These skills are particularly important to an agency that is striving to implement groundbreaking reforms to better position itself to tackle future challenges, including modernizing FDA methods for evaluating safety and efficacy throughout a product?s life cycle," he said.