FDA Commissioner Hamburg Steps Down

Feb. 5, 2015

After a tenure of six years, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg has announced that she will be stepping down from her position at the end of March.

In her resignation letter, Hamburg announced that Dr. Stephen Ostroff will serve as Acting Commissioner after she steps down.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Dr. Robert Califf, who was recently selected by Hamburg to become the agency's deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco, is the likely successor for Hamburg's position. Dr. Califf is a prominent cardiologist and researcher from Duke University.

Hamburg, nominated by President Obama and approved as Commissioner by the Senate in 2009, is one of the longest-serving FDA commissioners in the modern era.