Alexander: Dr. Hahn’s Experience as a Practicing Oncologist, a Successful Leader of MD Anderson and Work at NIH, Make Him the Right Leader for the FDA
Senate confirms Dr. Stephen Hahn to serve as FDA Commissioner by bipartisan vote of 72-18
“Dr. Hahn can now get to work approving new life-saving drugs and devices, regulating tobacco and e-cigarettes, addressing the opioid crisis, ensuring pain patients can receive the medications they need and protecting our nation’s food supply.” – Senator Lamar Alexander
WASHINGTON, December 12, 2019 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that “Dr. Stephen Hahn’s experience as a practicing oncologist, a successful leader of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) make him the right leader for the FDA at this critical time.”
Dr. Hahn was confirmed by the Senate today by a bipartisan vote of 72-18 to serve as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Dr. Hahn has extensive medical and research experience and is a proven leader in large health systems—all around, he is exactly the type of nominee we want to lead an agency as important as the FDA,” Alexander said. “The Senate health committee I chair received sixteen letters of support for Dr. Hahn representing more than 80 organizations on behalf of doctors, patients, researchers, and from his colleagues. Dr. Hahn has also received support from five previous FDA commissioners, who served under Presidents Trump, Obama and Bush.”
“Dr. Hahn can now get to work approving new life-saving drugs and devices, regulating tobacco and e-cigarettes, addressing the opioid crisis, ensuring pain patients can receive the medications they need and protecting our nation’s food supply.”
Alexander is chairman of the Senate health committee which has jurisdiction over confirmation of the FDA commissioner. Alexander chaired Dr. Hahn’s confirmation hearing on November 20, and the committee approved his nomination on December 3 by a bipartisan vote of 18-5. Alexander today voted in favor of Dr. Hahn’s nomination.
Dr. Hahn has previously served as the chief medical executive at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is board certified in both medical oncology and radiation oncology, specializing over the course of his career on prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, and lung cancers and sarcoma.
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