Dec 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s newly appointed head of the drug evaluation department, Richard Pazdur, is set to retire from the health agency, STAT News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The agency’s veteran oncology chief Pazdur took over the role less than a month ago, replacing George Tidmarsh, who resigned amid serious concerns about his personal conduct.

Pazdur informed leaders at the FDA’s drug center of his intention to leave the agency at a meeting on Tuesday, STAT reported, adding he could still retract the papers.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

See Full Page