Former FDA oncology chief calls for agency restructuring after recent staff cuts

Richard Pazdur, who led the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence for more than twenty years, said the agency now faces a "golden opportunity" to restructure its operations.

He made the comments after a reduction in force action by the previous administration that affected the FDA’s staff last year.

Pazdur argued that the changes could allow the FDA to rethink the relationship between its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the oncology unit, aiming for a more integrated review process.

The former director did not detail specific reforms, but emphasized that a reorganization could improve efficiency in evaluating cancer therapies.