FDA taps new-yet-old drug chief

As the ink was still drying [1] on the new drug-safety bill, FDA shuffled its management, bringing back Janet Woodcock as director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The previous director, Steven Glason, will take over as acting Surgeon General October 1.

Woodcock held the reins at CDER for more than 10 years before becoming deputy commissioner. She'll need that experience to take on the safety overhaul ordered by Congress--which involves a bigger budget, more power, and lots more responsibility to seek out unsafe drugs before a Vioxx-like disaster strikes.

- see the FDA commissioner's statement [2]
- read this piece [3] from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)

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