On March 14, 2009, the Obama administration announced that it had chosen Margaret A. Hamburg, a Harvard-educated physician and former New York City health commissioner, to be the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Obama administration also chose Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore’s health commissioner, to serve as Dr. Hamburg’s principal deputy commissioner. In announcing the appointments, President Obama noted that the laws and regulations governing food safety were out of date and in need of change.

Dr. Hamburg is considered to be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine as well as an authority on global health, public health systems, infectious disease, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness. Her previous experience includes serving as the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s founding Vice President for the Biological Program. She also served as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, US Department of Health and Human Services. Further, Dr. Hamburg spent six years as Commissioner of Health for the City of New York. She also served as the Assistant Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein is Commissioner of Health for the City of Baltimore and serves as chair of the board of four affiliated nonprofit agencies. He has also been involved in efforts to protect children from unsafe jewelry and over-the-counter medication and ensuring Americans with disabilities have access to prescription drugs.

The appointments of Drs. Hamburg and Sharfstein clearly signal that the new administration is intent on reforming FDA. The Obama administration can be expected to work closely with Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) and John Dingell (D-MI) to pass FDA reform legislation, which will then be implemented by Commissioner Hamburg.  

For more information, please contact:

Georgia Ravitz
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James R. Ravitz
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202.857.8903

Amy S. Colvin
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202.857.6338

James H. Hartten
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202.857.8983