Biden taps Califf to head FDA — an agency where he has plenty of unfinished business

WASHINGTON — Robert Califf, President Biden’s new pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration, doesn’t have much to show for his first tenure at the agency.

His grand plans for modernizing the way drug makers and the FDA collect patient data were shelved in 2017 after he left the agency’s top spot. His efforts to ban flavored tobacco products were foiled by the Obama White House. Even his push to finally fix the FDA’s hiring woes still hasn’t been fully implemented.

Now Califf, who Biden formally tapped on Friday to retake the FDA’s top job, will have another shot at delivering on those promises.

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