WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The director of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research was placed on administrative leave on Friday, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

George Tidmarsh told the newspaper that he was placed on leave after raising concerns about the legal basis of a new program for the rapid approval of some new drugs.

The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Edmund Klamann)