U.S. Public Health and Safety

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D., will speak at a National Press Club luncheon on Wednesday, October 6. The second woman to be named FDA Commissioner in the Agency’s history, she brings an extensive and intensive background in infectious disease, bioterrorism, and health policy to the position. The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for protecting the public health by (1) assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation and (2) regulating the manufacture, marketing and distribution of tobacco products. The agency is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public obtain the accurate science-based information it needs to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health.