As published in the Official Register on July 21, 2015, the Brazilian President, Ms. Dilma Roussef, has appointed Mr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Junior as the new Head of the Brazilian Food and Drug Agency (“National Sanitary Surveillance Agency - ANVISA”), for a 3-year term. Mr. Barbosa’s nomination has already been approved by the Brazilian Senate and he will replace Mr. Ivo Bucaresky, who was acting as interim Head of ANVISA since April 27, 2015.Mr. Barbosa has a Doctorate Degree in Public Health and a Masters Degree in Medical Science from the University of Campinas (Unicamp). In addition, Mr. Barbosa is an expert in public health and epidemiology with the National School of Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz).Before his nomination, Mr. Barbosa previously held the position of Head of the Health Department of the State of Pernambuco. Most recently, he worked in the Health Department of the Federal Government (“Ministry of Health”) as the Secretary of Science, Technology and Strategic Pharmaceutical Ingredients. In this position, Mr. Barbosa was responsible for the coordination of the PDP (Partnership for the Productive Development) Program. This program is a major public initiative through which the Brazilian Government signs tech transfers and supply agreements with private companies, seeking to capacitate its government-owned pharmaceutical industries to manufacture products that are relevant for the Brazilian Public Health System. Mr. Barbosa also represented Brazil on the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organization between 2007 and 2010 and before Health World Organization in 2013.If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at lifesciences@lickslegal.com.