The U.S. Senate today confirmed Dr. Robert Califf as the new commissioner of food and drugs on a 89-4 vote. Califf now leads the Food & Drug Administration, taking over from Dr. Margret Hamburg, who resigned in March 2015.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell congratulated Califf, saying, "I commend the Senate for their bipartisan vote today and am pleased that President (Barack) Obama’s nominee, Dr. Robert Califf, will become the commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration. Dr. Califf is the right person with the right experience to build on the FDA’s unsurpassed record of protecting public health while encouraging innovation and the introduction of new life-saving therapies to the market."

Dr. Stephen Ostroff, acting commissioner of food and drugs, added that "Califf has demonstrated a long and deep commitment to advancing the public health throughout his distinguished career as a physician, researcher and leader in the fields of science and medicine. He understands well the critical role that FDA plays in responding to the changes in our society while protecting and promoting the health of the public across the many areas we regulate, and I am confident that our public health and scientific contributions will further grow under his exceptional leadership."