"FDA a Failed Agency" says Dr. Steven Nissen, Contender for FDA Commissioner

You may recall that Steven Nissen, MD, Chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine, Cleveland Clinic and outspoken critic of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was one of the leading choices for FDA Commissioner in my recent survey (see here).

Well, Nissen is one of the "six leading voices" who have told Nature magazine what the president Obama needs to do to move beyond the Bush legacy. Nissen focused, of course, on the FDA in his letter to the editor, which opened with this statement:

"After an unprecedented series of revelations about drug and device safety issues, many observers consider the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a failed agency."

He also suggests that the next FDA commissioner "should serve a fixed six-year term to insulate the agency from political influence. Moreover, the system by which pharmaceutical companies fund a major portion of the FDA's budget through user fees requires re-evaluation."

Nissen's letter reveals that he is a man with a plan when it comes to the FDA. He may just be chosen to lead that agency for the next 6 years!