President Donald Trump announced Monday he would nominate former pharmaceutical executive Alex Azar for the position of HHS secretary.
"Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!" President Trump tweeted.
Mr. Azar spent almost 10 years at Eli Lilly, including five as president, before leaving in January. He served as deputy secretary of HHS under former President George W. Bush and has been considered a frontrunner for the secretary position since mid-October.
Mr. Azar replaces Tom Price, MD, who left HHS Sept. 29 after a Politico investigation revealed he often traveled on expensive private jets when cheaper commercial flights were available.