The FDA on Nov. 11 installed Richard Pazdur — the agency’s longtime oncology director — as head of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The appointment follows the abrupt departure of George Tidmarsh and comes amid internal uncertainty at the agency. Industry watchers cited Pazdur’s two-decade track record running oncology reviews and his reputation for pragmatic accelerated-approval decisions as stabilizing factors for product sponsors and reviewers alike.