Obama’s pick to head FDA faces tough job to reform agency

President Obama has tapped former New York health commissioner Margaret Hamburg to head the Food and Drug Administration. Hamburg’s background includes public health and drug research, and working as lead scientist for a group examining the public safety threat from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. As FDA head,  Hamburg would not only need to steer a new course for the ailing agency – which has recently come under sharp criticism for its mismanagement during a recent salmonella outbreak – but she’ll also have to navigate the delicate balance between pharmaceutical companies and consumer advocates. FSRN’s Karen Miller has more.

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