WASHINGTON, D.C. – John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released the following statement on reports of the retirement of Richard Pazdur from the US FDA.
“Dr. Pazdur has dedicated decades of his career to public service and the needs of patients. He exemplifies the type of expert and steady leadership that has made the United States the home to the world’s leading medical breakthroughs. Dr. Pazdur’s departure raises serious concerns about the repeated turnover in key leadership occurring at the FDA. We need organizational strength and stability at the Agency. This constant turmoil is undermining America's leadership in biotechnology, creating unprecedented regulatory instability and unpredictability, and risks ceding this critical sector to China. As BIO has long upheld - it is imperative that we retain and recruit scientific expertise and strong leadership of the highest caliber at our health agencies and that the standards that are the hallmark of these health institutions are upheld and advanced. We are at a tipping point. It is time to right this ship.”
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About the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
BIO is the premier biotechnology advocacy organization representing biotech companies, industry leaders, and state biotech associations in the United States and more than 35 countries around the globe. BIO members range from biotech start-ups to some of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies – all united by the same goal: to develop medical and scientific breakthroughs that prevent and fight disease, restore health, and improve patients’ lives. BIO also organizes the BIO International Convention and a series of annual conferences that drive partnerships, investment, and progress within the sector. Learn more at bio.org.