Nov 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

said on Tuesday it has appointed Richard Pazdur, the agency's

veteran oncology chief, as its new director of the Center for

Drug Evaluation and Research.

Pazdur, who leads the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence,

replaces George Tidmarsh, who resigned earlier this month amid

serious concerns about his personal conduct, a Department of

Health and Human Services spokesperson told Reuters.

Pazdur joined the FDA in 1999 and was named director of the

Office of Oncology Drug Products in 2005. He has been credited

with speeding the review process for dozens of cancer drugs and

is known as much for his advocacy, driven in part by the death

of his wife from ovarian cancer, as for his regulatory

expertise, according to a prior interview with Reuters.

Earlier this year, he was named the recipient of the

American Association for Cancer Research 2025 Enduring Impact

Award for Transformative Service to Cancer Science and Medicine.

Pazdur will now oversee one of the FDA's largest and most

important divisions, which regulates over-the-counter and most

prescription drugs.

His appointment comes amid significant leadership shakeups

under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has already

ousted longtime vaccine chief Peter Marks and gene-therapy head

Nicole Verdun, marking major changes in FDA leadership.

In an interview with the New York Times earlier this month,

Tidmarsh said he was placed on administrative leave after

raising concerns about the legal basis of a new program for the

rapid approval of some drugs.

Tidmarsh is also facing a lawsuit from Canadian drugmaker

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals ( AUPH ), which accuses him of

soliciting a bribe and damaging the company's stock with false

statements as part of a revenge campaign against a former

colleague.

Pazdur will continue to lead the oncology center until a

successor is named, the FDA said.