Andrew von Eschenbach

Andrew C. von Eschenbach (born October 30, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration from 2006–2009. He became acting Commissioner on September 26, 2005, after the resignation of his predecessor Lester Crawford, and was confirmed as Commissioner by the Senate on December 7, 2006.^[1][2] He was previously the 12th director of the National Cancer Institute.

Von Eschenbach currently serves on the Board of Directors of BioTime (NYSE MKT: BTX), a biotechnology company helmed by CEO Michael D. West, PhD.^[3] He also serves as a director of Viamet Pharmaceuticals. ^[4]

Biography

After graduating from St. Joseph's Preparatory School, von Eschenbach received his bachelor of science in biology from St. Joseph's University in 1963 and his MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1967. He did residencies at Pennsylvania Hospital in general surgery and urology and taught urology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He served in the US Navy Medical Corps with the rank of lieutenant commander from 1968 to 1971.

In 1976, von Eschenbach began his long association with The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, beginning as a urologic oncology fellow and becoming chair of the department of urology in 1983. He was founding director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program in 1996, director of the Genitourinary Cancer Center, and held the Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Clinical Research Distinguished Chair in Urologic Oncology. Driven by his father's prostate cancer, he specialized in the disease.

Von Eschenbach was president-elect of the American Cancer Society when he was selected by President George W. Bush to head the NCI in December 2001. As director of the NCI he announced in 2003 that his organization's goal was to "eliminate suffering and death" caused by cancer by the year 2015. However, under von Eschenbach's leadership the FDA has been criticized for being too risk averse when considering life saving treatments for desperate, dying patients. For example, in 2007 the FDA failed to approve Provenge for the treatment of late stage prostate cancer against the recommendation of an independent advisory committee.

Von Eschenbach was criticized for overruling his staff recommendations, and approving the Menaflex knee implant, made by ReGen Biologics Inc., New Jersey, on a fast-track basis, after four New Jersey congressmen lobbied on ReGen's behalf. Von Eschenbach said, "We fumbled that process."^[5]

In 2006, Time named him as one of the Time 100 "People Who Shape Our World", writing that as head of the FDA, which "wields enormous influence on American lives", von Eschenbach "could make a signal contribution to the public's health" by focusing on issues of diet and obesity in addition to drugs and disease.

On August 1, 2006, Senators Clinton and Cantwell announced they would block his nomination to be the permanent FDA commissioner because of his department's failure to act on the application by Barr Pharmaceuticals to sell Plan B over-the-counter. They ultimately voted for his nomination.^[2]

Andrew von Eschenbach was instrumental in the development and growth of the Prostate Cancer Foundation (founded by Michael Milken) since its inception in 1993 and held a board membership position and scientific advisor role at the foundation. C-Change, a forum that brings together the principal leaders of key national cancer organizations, and founded by Andrew von Eschenbach, is in partnership with the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Notes

References

• "Andrew von Eschenbach." Biography Resource Center Online. Gale, 2006.

See also

• BioTime
• Michael D. West

External links

• Food and Drug Administration biography
• National Cancer Institute biography
• "Biosketch for Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach", NCI BenchMarks, vol. 2 no. 1, January 22, 2002.
• BioTime web site
• "Andrew von Eschenbach: Entering the Fray at the FDA", Michael Jacobson, Time, April 30, 2006.

Food and Drug Administration of the United States
Divisions	Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Center for Devices and Radiological Health Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Center for Tobacco Products Center for Veterinary Medicine National Center for Toxicological Research Office of Criminal Investigations Office of Regulatory Affairs
Major Acts	Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act FDA Modernization Act of 1997 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Food Safety Modernization Act PDUFA, 1992 Pure Food and Drug Act
Title 21 Regulations & Rules	Administrative Law  • Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Federal Journal  • Federal Register (FR) Federal Law  • Title 21 of the United States Code (U.S.C.)
Commissioners	Harvey W. Wiley Carl L. Alsberg Charles A. Browne Walter G. Campbell Paul P. Dunbar Charles W. Crawford George P. Larrick James L. Goddard Herbert L. Ley Charles C. Edwards Alexander M. Schmidt Donald Kennedy Jere E. Goyan Arthur H. Hayes Jr. Frank Edward Young David Aaron Kessler Jane E. Henney Mark McClellan Lester Crawford Andrew von Eschenbach Margaret Hamburg
Society and Culture	History of the Food and Drug Administration Criticism of the Food and Drug Administration Regulation of food and dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration