March 10 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew von Eschenbach, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, is likely to be named permanent chief of the U.S. regulatory agency, according to a person close to the situation. President George W. Bush may nominate von Eschenbach in the next few weeks, the person said. Under law, an acting commissioner can serve no more than 210 days before the president must designate a permanent commissioner. Von Eschenbach, chief of the National Cancer Institute, took the job temporarily in September when Lester Crawford resigned.
