Who’s the new Janet Woodcock? We’ve got the intel

Patrizia Cavazzoni is the FDA regulator you’ve probably never heard of but definitely should know. She’s currently leading the FDA’s drug center, and multiple former and current FDA sources told STAT she is rapidly rising as the likely successor to Janet Woodcock’s throne atop that subagency, a post Woodcock has held for more than a decade.

STAT talked to nearly a dozen FDA insiders and former colleagues about Cavazzoni, all of whom described her as a silent problem solver who will carry on Woodcock’s legacy of pushing the agency to “modernize.”

But there’s already some controversy surrounding her ascent. Cavazzoni has a long history in industry and has been centrally involved in nationwide scandals over drug safety in the past few decades. Already, public health advocates believe that history should disqualify her from leading the drug center.

For lots more on Cavazzoni, check out my new story here.