Senate Confirms New FDA Head

The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's pick, Scott Gottlieb, MD, to head the FDA, according to several published media reports.

A statement from Senate health committee chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released yesterday on his website noted that: "Dr. Gottlieb understands the importance of driving forward research to take advantage of these extraordinary medical miracles that have the potential to affect every American family. He has impressive qualifications from nearly every angle, and I look forward to the Senate voting to confirm him.”

The Senate’s health committee held a confirmation hearing on April 5.

Gottlieb has held several positions at the FDA, serving as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner under President George W. Bush, as well as serving as a senior advisor to the FDA commissioner, and as the agency’s Director of Medical Policy Development.

Prior to joining the FDA, Dr Gottlieb was board director or advisor to several drug companies, including Tolero, GlaxoSmithKline, and Glytec Pharmeceuticals. He was also a partner at New Enterprise Associates and director at TR Winston & Company, both of which have strong ties to health care.

Based on his previous experience, Dr Gottlieb's ties to the pharmaceutical industry promise to be a hot topic of discussion at hearings on his appointment.

The views of Dr Gottlieb, who has written in various newspapers and other media about the need to expedite drug approvals, fall in line with President Trump’s criticism of the current FDA regulatory process, which he recently described in a statement to Congress as "slow and burdensome," and in need of an overhaul to limit restraints.