Citing concerns about his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced Tuesday he has placed a hold on President Barack Obama's nomination of Dr. Robert Califf as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner.

Sanders, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, joins Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Ed Markey, D-Mass., in seeking to block Califf's nomination.

Murkowski wants assurances the FDA will require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered salmon, while Markey has raised concerns about the way the agency approaches addiction.

Sanders said he shares Markey's concerns about the FDA's approach to addiction, arguing that too many people are dying from what has become an opioid epidemic.

"I also strongly believe that at a time when millions of Americans cannot afford to purchase the prescription drugs they require, we need a leader at the FDA who is prepared to stand up to the drug companies," Sanders said.

He added, "We need someone who will work to substantially lower drug prices, implement rules to safely import brand-name drugs from Canada and hold companies accountable who defraud our government."

Sanders said he has no reason to believe Califf would make the FDA work for ordinary Americans, rather than just the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies.

A statement from Sanders' office said the clinical research center Califf ran at Duke University received more than 60 percent of its funding from the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

Califf's financial disclosure form listed seven drug companies and a device maker that paid him for consulting and six others that supported his university salary, the statement added.

Califf, who currently serves as FDA Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco, was nominated as FDA Commissioner by Obama last September.

The well-known doctor was long seen as the likely successor to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who stepped down as FDA Commissioner last March after almost six years on the job.

Dr. Stephen Ostroff, previously the FDA's chief scientist, has served as acting commissioner since Hamburg's resignation.

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