Robert Califf the new FDA chief?

Founded in 1906 under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, the Food and Drug Administration regulates matters relating to foodstuffs and medicines. With the aim of liberalising the system for approval of drugs and medical devices, the US Congress is currently preparing to recast the system. One of the candidates with a good chance of successfully implementing these reforms is Robert Califf. Recently appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, he could well take over from Margaret Hamburg at the head of the FDA. In May 2014 he expressed criticism of a regulatory system that has stagnated because it is too time-consuming and costly for companies. Cardiologist and Cardiology Professor at Duke University School of Medicine, Robert Califf is the founder of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and has conducted numerous clinical trials. An official nomination by the White House is expected.