Update on FDA Leadership Changes
The President has stated his intention to nominate the Chief Medical Officer of Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic, Dr. Stephen Hahn, as the next U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. As has been reported, the current Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless could not remain in the acting position beyond Nov. 1 unless a new Commissioner was nominated by that date. The White House has yet to officially nominate Dr. Hanh, so Dr. Sharpless will be immediately returning to his previous role as head of the National Cancer Institute, and Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, will be the Acting Commissioner until Dr. Hahn has been confirmed by the Senate.
With many controversial issues before the FDA – e-cigarettes and the opioid crisis, to name a couple - the confirmation process is likely to be contentious.