Wyden Will Support Robert Califf’s Confirmation as FDA Chief

Robert Califf, President Biden’s pick to lead the FDA, has nabbed the support of a powerful undecided senator — Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee.

Wyden announced his support yesterday after Califf pledged to punish drugmakers that drag their feet on providing conducting confirmatory evidence for drugs approved through the agency’s accelerated pathway as required, within 30 days of taking office as commissioner.

Still, Califf’s confirmation isn’t a sure thing. Five Senate Democrats have indicated they will vote against him and Califf needs a “yes” vote from at least 50 senators in the evenly split chamber.