Dr. Robert Califf, a prominent cardiologist with extensive clinical research experience and big ties to Big Pharma, who served as FDA commissioner during Obama’s final year in office has once again been appointed top boss at the FDA.
Califf, who was dubbed the “ultimate industry insider” in 2015, hasn’t changed much during the years since he last was tagged to run the FDA. He may have even improved on his Pharma connections.
The consumer group Public Citizen notes that after Califf left the FDA in 2017 he “revived his lucrative ties with FDA-regulated pharmaceutical companies, receiving consulting fees totaling tens of thousands of dollars…”
The group called for the Senate to reject “Biden’s recycled FDA commissioner pick.”
But they didn’t. Despite being close, 50 YEAs to 46 NAYs, Califf’s nomination was confirmed. But in the scheme of how things work at the FDA, does the name of the FDA head really matter?
Big Food and Big Pharma run the show at the FDA, with agents in place at every level saving the commissioner from making hard decisions – such as how to continue to claim that toxic MSG and its toxic manufactured free glutamate (MfG) are harmless.
But thinking on the bright side, maybe the Senate confirmation hearings could be made to serve a different purpose. Perhaps someone could get those 46 Senators who voted against Califf to have the use of toxic glyphosate (Roundup) banned – or even just limited. Or, maybe they could order an investigation as to why the FDA continues to serve the glutamate industry and not have MfG banned from use in processed foods – or at least labeled. Now that would really be something.