Who Will Follow Kessler As FDA Commissioner?

Following the resignation of US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler end-November, amid both praise and criticism of his performance (Marketletter December 2), the speculation now is on who will take over the position.

Dr Kessler's resignation was long overdue, Paul Kamenar, executive legal director of the Washington Legal Foundation told the Marketletter, and his organization "is happy to see that he has resigned." Mr Kamenar also made reference to the Commissioner being under a cloud with respect to his travel expenses, which the Commerce Committee and the subcommittee had vowed to investigate, "so it seemed to me that there was pressure that he didn't want to undergo."

A recent Washington Post article speculated on a number of possibilities, among them being Mary Pendergast, deputy FDA Commissioner. Mr Kamenar said she would be a clone of Dr Kessler "and absolutely terrible." Many of those mentioned in the Post, including those from the Department of Agriculture, have their own personal agendas, he said, adding that the next nominees will undergo scrutiny by the Senate before they are put in charge of an agency which controls 25% of the economy.