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Who is Andrew von Eschenbach

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Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.

The Food and Drug Administration regulates approximately one-fourth of the U.S. economy, including every day items like food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., respected urologic surgeon and oncologist was at the helm until January 2009. As FDA Commissioner, Dr. von Eschenbach oversaw the country's foremost consumer protection and health agency, entrusted with the safety of products that account for more than 20% of consumer spending. The FDA has a tremendous responsibility and influences American daily life more than any other governmental agency.

Prior to his nomination to the FDA post, Andrew von Eschenbach was Director of the National Cancer Institute, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002. At that time he was serving as Chief Academic Officer of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Dr. von Eschenbach, himself a two-time cancer survivor, has an impressive resume as a key leader in the fight against cancer. In addition to more than 200 articles, books, and text chapters, he has also served as an editorial board member of several leading journals. His career as a cancer researcher spans more than three decades, and he remains optimistic that the suffering and death due to cancer can be eliminated in the foreseeable future.

Official portrait of Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach by James Tennison

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Contents at a Glance

Andrew von Eschenbach
One of the World's Most Influential Peop...
100 People Who Shape Our World
TIME Magazine's 100
TIME Magazine Honoree Andrew von Eschenb...
On the Subject of Cancer
Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.
The National Cancer Institute in the New...
The War on Cancer and Obesity

A Few Facts Courtesy of Wikipedia

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. He was previously the 12th director of the National Cancer Institute. 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.

One of the World's Most Influential People

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.

100 People Who Shape Our World

TIME Magazine's 100

The Lives and Ideas of the World's Most Influential People

At a gala evening honoring TIME Magazine's 100 People Who Shape Our World, the VIP guests began to arrive and alight on the red carpet. As shock-jock Howard Stern emerged from his limo, the crowd went wild. A similar round of cheers welcomed honoree Paul Simon. Moments later, Andrew von Eschenbach and his wife Madelyn were greeted with polite smiles and quizzical looks. Little did the crowd realize that this man, Commissioner of the FDA, had perhaps more of an affect on their daily lives than any other member of TIME's esteemed roster of influential people.

This anecdote was related by my sister-in-law, Madelyn, who happens to be married to Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, or Andy as he is known to family and friends.

TIME Magazine Selects the 100 Most Influential People in the World
Photo Essay | An Evening With the TIME 100

TIME Magazine Honoree Andrew von Eschenbach and Wife Madelyn (2006)

On the Subject of Cancer

Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

Our best weapon today to deal with cancer is to be able to find it early, at a time when we still can effectively apply treatment. And we have a variety of methods of early detection available to us. We have, for example, mammography for breast cancer, and colonoscopy for colon cancer, and PSA, or prostate specific antigen, for prostate cancer. Those tests give us the opportunity to determine whether there may or may not be a problem present, and that gives us the opportunity to make rational decisions as to what we may need to do about that problem.

As a two-time cancer survivor and a cancer specialist, I have witnessed patients struggle to find a solution for their disease and place their hope in an experimental drug. There is, and always must be, a pathway for such options. Nonetheless, allowing mass marketing and promotion of unproven therapies would have serious consequences: false hope and lack of real medical progress that could ultimately lead to control and cure of devastating illnesses.

Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

The National Cancer Institute in the News

Recent News Headlines About the National Cancer Institute

Diet High in Fish May Help or Harm, New Study from Cancer Prevention Institute ...: In the United States, more than 240000 men are diagnosed annually with prostate cancer and about 33720 die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Only lung cancer kills more American men. According to the Prostate Cancer ...
In prostate cancer, other death risks may be higher: Mainly, they raise questions for future studies, said Dr. Anthony D'Amico, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston. "This is a study of associations, and does not prove cause-and-effect.
Oral nutritional interventions improve nutritional intake and QOL in ...: ... intake and improve some aspects of quality of life (QOL) in malnourished cancer patients or those who are at nutritional risk, but do not effect mortality, according to a study published February 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
RainDance Technologies' Customers to Showcase Cancer Research Successes at ...: MARCO ISLAND, Fla., Feb 15, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RainDance Technologies, Inc., the Digital Biology(TM) Company, and customers including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA), and Asuragen will highlight recent ...

The War on Cancer and Obesity

The Charlie Rose Show

Andrew von Eschenbach

Andrew C. von Eschenbach

Food & Drug Administration Press Releases

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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Food & Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach

On the Food & Drug Administration

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach

For over 100 years, FDA has been recognized and praised as the gold standard of regulation throughout the world. Being given the opportunity to lead the Agency at this time, it is my responsibility to continue the excellent work of my predecessors and ensure that the Agency is equipped to handle the challenges of today and the future. The world is experiencing a rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and globalization that will have dramatic impacts on the industries and products that we regulate. The Agency must be equipped with the expertise and infrastructure to meet emerging challenges, such as: foodborne disease outbreaks, intentional or unintentional; evaluation of complex drugs and biologics brought about by emerging progress in molecular biology; the potential for pandemic flu; and medical devices bioengineered, miniaturized, and increasingly autonomous in evaluating and modulating our state of health.

FDA is working hard to ensure the safety and security of food, in collaboration with our Federal, state, local, and international food safety partners, and with consumers, industry, and academia. As a result of this effective collaboration, the American food supply continues to be among the safest in the world. Although we have made progress, much remains to be done. The recent incidents of contaminated food and animal feed demonstrate the challenges we face and the need to move toward a food safety and security system that is even more proactive and strategic, with a field force that is trained and equipped to focus on the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The FDA in the News

Recent News Headlines About the Food & Drug Administration

FDA probes rise in counterfeit drugs: "We do know there are counterfeits continuing to try and make their way onto the US supply chain," said Connie Jung, an associate director in the Food and Drug Administration's office of drug security. The FDA announced Tuesday it is investigating fake ...
FDA finds trace amounts of lead in 400 lipsticks: By Tara Meyer, KUSA A study by the Food and Drug Administration found 400 lipsticks on the market tested positive for lead. However, the lead found is at a low enough level to not cause a serious health risk. The least contaminated lipstick was Wet n' ...
AHF Challenges FDA Move to Fast Track Gilead's 'HIV Prevention' Drug Linked to ...: LOS ANGELES, Feb 15, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest HIV/AIDS nonprofit medical provider, today expressed its disappointment and dismay at the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to grant an ...
Inquiry widens into FDA's monitoring of whistleblowers' e-mail: By Lisa Rein A probe of the Food and Drug Administration's e-mail surveillance of its employees widened Wednesday as the independent federal agency representing whistleblowers opened an investigation. The FDA secretly monitored the private e-mail ...

August 1, 2006

Democratic Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Maria E. Cantwell announced they would block Andrew von Eschenbach's nomination as permanent FDA commissioner because of the department's failure to act on the application by Barr Pharmaceuticals to sell "Plan B" contraceptive pills over-the-counter. They ultimately voted for his nomination.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach

Andrew von Eschenbach in the Press

Articles & Press Releases

Online NewsHour
NPR, March 16, 2006
CNBC, August 21, 2007
The Cancer Genome Atlas
TIME Magazine: April 30, 2006
TIME Magazine: March 19, 2006
TIME Magazine: October 3, 2005
Bloomberg Press, December 7, 2006
The New York Times, March 11, 2003
Portrait of Former NCI Director Unveiled
Pharmaceutical Executive, September 27, 2005
FDA Biography of Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Health & Human Services Press Release, December 6, 2001
Congressional Record, Senate Floor Speech, December 7, 2006
Cyclist Lance Armstrong Visits NIH: NIH Record, November 25, 2003

Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, NCI director, welcomes Lance Armstrong and fellow Tour of Hope bicyclists Peter Scacheri and Milana Dolezal to NIH (2003)

Thanks For Visiting

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CarlThomp May 23, 2011 @ 11:56 am | delete

I was searching for information and this lens helped keep the good work up.

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TraceyFitzgerald Oct 5, 2010 @ 2:11 pm | delete

Thanks for opening up my eyes to this. I didn't know about this doctor and found your lens very inspirational.

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JaguarJulie May 19, 2009 @ 9:19 am | delete

What a remarkable person -- it warms my heart to know that there are good men like this in our world.

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chefkeem Apr 26, 2009 @ 11:14 pm | delete

It's easy to complain about corruption or lack of oversight in government agencies, but outstanding humanitarians such as this good doctor ensure that we're still much better off than other nations in this world. 5*s and a blessing for this great portrait.

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KimGiancaterino Mar 2, 2008 @ 12:22 pm | delete

Actually, Dr. von Eschenbach has cured many people of cancer during his career. He is himself a two-time cancer survivor.
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