Califf breezes through confirmation hearing

On Tuesday, members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee expressed strong support for confirming Robert Califf as FDA commissioner.

In an opening statement at the confirmation hearing, HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) dismissed criticism of Califf from consumer groups that contend that Califf's experience interacting with pharmaceutical companies constitutes an unacceptable conflict of interest. Alexander said Califf had submitted extensive documentation of his financial interactions with industry and concluded that it contains nothing "that would call into doubt" Califf's ability to lead the agency "fairly and impartially." ...