Mending Trust on Tap for Next FDA Head as Clock Ticks on Nominee

A new permanent commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration will need to bring more clarity to the government’s pandemic response and restore trust to an agency that remains without a Senate-confirmed leader nearly a year into the Biden administration, policy analysts and former FDA officials say.

President Joe Biden has just weeks left to name a replacement for acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, who was ruled out for the post due to opposition on Capitol Hill. Installing a permanent head is seen as necessary to bring a steady presence amid the ever-evolving conditions of the pandemic.

“It’s hard to have ...