Acting commissioner of Food and Drugs Dr. Lester M. Crawford announced the appointment of Patrick Ronan, a former senior congressional staffer, as assistant commissioner for Legislation. Ronan will manage FDA's Office of Legislation and work with Amit Sachdev, FDA's associate commissioner for Legislation and acting deputy commissioner for Policy.

"I am delighted with the addition of Patrick Ronan to our office that serves the needs of the United States Congress and the FDA by answering congressional queries, drafting testimony and helping to develop public health legislation," Dr. Crawford said. "Patrick's experience on Capitol Hill and his familiarity with FDA's work and mission make him eminently suited for his new position."

Ronan has been active for the last 10 years in the legislative arena, most of the time dealing with public health issues. He comes to the FDA from the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was the primary staffer for all FDA related issues. As a senior member of the majority staff, Ronan was one of the lead drafters of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.

Prior to his membership on the Committee, Ronan was a legislative aide to several Members of Congress, including Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich and Congressmen John Ensign, Jon Christensen, and John Peterson. From January 2000 until April 2001, Ronan was the Legislative Director of the Health Insurance Association of America, and from May 2001 until January 2003 he was Director of Government Relations for the Biotechnology Industry Organization.