Lester M. Crawford, who recently resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may have done so as a result of his failure to disclose financial holdings, according to a family member. This is at odds with previous statements made by Crawford's wife.
The abruptness of Crawford's resignation, a scant two months after his confirmation, has led to speculation that he had investments in companies regulated by the FDA.
Crawford's financial disclosure form revealed nothing that appeared to conflict with his role at the FDA. But his actual finances may be more complex than the form indicated.
The family of Crawford's wife once owned Walker Drug (a drug distribution company) until 1997 when it was sold to AmeriSource Health, a firm that eventually became one of America's largest drug wholesalers. But family members claim that transaction and the funds generated from the sale had nothing to do with Crawford's departure.
President Bush has named Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as acting commissioner of the FDA. Some in the Senate have expressed concern at Eschenbach's intention to perform both jobs.
There may be conflicts of interest between the role of NCI director, which includes managing a research program that includes drug development, and FDA commissioner, who must review the safety and effectiveness of those very drugs.
