The FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence has a firm hand at the helm as Angelo de Claro commits to driving forward the centre’s regulatory mission.
De Claro currently serves as Director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, leading efforts to develop and execute an integrated regulatory approach across oncology product clinical review.
The OCE coordinates across multiple FDA centres, working to streamline how oncology products are assessed and ultimately brought to patients who need them.
De Claro has stated that the OCE continues to meaningfully impact patients despite what he acknowledged as difficult times at the FDA.
His leadership comes at a moment of significant transition within the agency, following the departure of Richard Pazdur, who moved on to become CDER director.
De Claro had been serving as acting director before being confirmed in the permanent role, a transition that drew on his deep institutional experience within the FDA.
He first joined the FDA’s Office of Hematology and Oncology Products as a Medical Officer in 2010, beginning a career that has steadily progressed through the agency’s oncology divisions.
He was promoted to Medical Officer team leader in 2012, and later elevated to Division Director in the Office of Oncologic Diseases in 2019, building a strong foundation in regulatory science.
Since March 2025, de Claro has held dual roles as Deputy Office Director for the Office of Oncologic Diseases and Deputy Center Director for the Oncology Center of Excellence.
That combination of responsibilities has given him an unusually broad view of how the FDA’s oncology regulatory apparatus functions across its many interconnected divisions.
The OCE’s mandate is to enhance cross-centre coordination, ensuring that oncology products receive consistent, science-driven review regardless of which FDA centre leads the assessment.
De Claro’s rise through the ranks reflects a career built on scientific rigour and a sustained commitment to improving the regulatory pathway for cancer treatments.
His appointment to the permanent directorship signals that the FDA intends to maintain continuity in its oncology leadership during a period of broader institutional change.
The centre’s work remains closely watched by pharmaceutical companies, patient advocates, and oncologists who depend on its decisions to shape the future of cancer care.