(Washington, DC, Wednesday, February 16, 2022)—Today, Global Liver Institute (GLI) applauds the confirmation of the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.
On Tuesday, February 15, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a 50-46 vote. For the last 13 months there has been a critical gap in permanent leadership at the FDA. During this extended break, especially during a global pandemic, we greatly appreciate Acting Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock’s guidance and service. However, without permanent and stable leadership, the FDA has been hampered in its ability to foster scientific excellence and protect the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of medical therapies.
Life threatening liver conditions continue to be under recognized, under diagnosed, and under treated. As leaders of the liver patient advocacy community, we depend upon a stable regulator, and need a FDA Commissioner that will be immediately empowered to accelerate patient centric regulatory actions. This is why we applaud the confirmation of Dr. Robert Califf as the new FDA Commissioner.
Not only will his previous experience as the FDA Commissioner from 2015-2017 allow him to hit the ground running, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to making patient-oriented decisions. Throughout his career has exhibited an understanding of the importance of shared expectations, and reliability between the FDA and the patient community. Most importantly, he recognizes the importance of advancing patient-focused goals in treatments and therapies for liver patients.
Over the last few months, we greatly appreciate the FDA’s willingness to work collaboratively on a variety of initiatives including our NASH, and PBC EL-PFDD meetings. We extend our strongest support for those entrusted to conduct scientific research, advance regulatory science, and approve new safe and effective therapies. With a new FDA Commissioner, we look forward to continuing our strong partnership, and advancing liver patient centric policies.
About Global Liver Institute
Global Liver Institute (GLI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in the belief that liver health must take its place on the global public health agenda commensurate with the prevalence and impact of liver illness. GLI promotes innovation, encourages collaboration, and supports the scaling of optimal approaches to help eradicate liver diseases. Operating globally, GLI is committed to solving the problems that matter to liver patients and equipping advocates to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by liver disease. Follow GLI on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.