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Welcome to Andy’s Take.
This week I was pleased and proud to take part in the dedication of the headquarters building at FDA's new White Oak Campus in Silver Spring Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. Anybody driving by the campus would notice a beehive of construction activity complete with hundreds of workers and trucks and cranes, and a number of new state-of-the-art buildings that are literally emerging from the ground.
My Take is that what may look like construction of new buildings is actually the creation of a new future – a new future in the regulation of drugs, medical devices, vaccines and other FDA-regulated products that will save lives because of a modern, strong and efficient FDA. This campus is not merely a collection of offices and laboratories, but the creation of a critical mass of intellectual ability, incredible energy, and unparalleled dedication on the part of FDA scientists and experts that now have a new home at White Oak.
During 2008, the number of FDA staff at White Oak Campus has grown to over 3,000. By 2012, there will be as many as 8,000 FDA employees working on this consolidated campus. As FDA grows in size and scope, and continues to modernize to meet the challenges and opportunities of globalization and advancements in science and technology, we are ensuring that we have the modern infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies that are so essential to FDA. You should know that the FDA's new campus at White Oak is a product of the remarkable team that includes the U.S. General Services Administration, Congress, state and local governments, and the LABQUEST Partnership, the local community group that has worked tirelessly on this project.
By bringing together – and coordinating and integrating - the components that make up the FDA family, we are enhancing scientific collaboration and increasing efficiencies. This transformation and modernization of FDA will not only better protect and promote the health of you and your family, but it will usher in a new era of healthcare with scientific breakthroughs – and your FDA will bring those safe and effective interventions to you more quickly than ever before.
I hope you and your family enjoy a peaceful and joyous holiday. Please check back here for the next Andy's Take.
Andy
Andrew C. von Eschenbach,
M.D.
Commissioner of Food and
Drugs
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