Dr. von Eschenbach named acting FDA commissioner

Urologist Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute, has been named by President Bush to assume the role of acting commissioner of the FDA. The appointment follows the resignation of Lester M. Crawford, DVM, PhD, on Sept. 23.

As director of NCI, Dr. von Eschenbach has been a strong proponent of a more collaborative, team-science approach to research and the movement toward individualized medicine based on the growing understanding of the molecular underpinnings of many diseases, NCI said in a prepared statement.

"When I came to NCI in 2002, I made this our challenge goal: to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer by 2015," he said. "I will work to ensure that this critically important work continues at NCI, even as the crucial initiatives at FDA continue unabated during this time of transition."

No deadline has been set for appointment of a permanent FDA commissioner.