President Donald Trump said Nov. 1 that he will nominate Stephen Hahn, MD, and CMO of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, to lead the FDA, according to STAT.
HHS Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir, MD, will lead the FDA while the Senate considers Dr. Hahn's nomination, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. Dr. Giroir, a pediatrician, has helped the Trump administration's efforts to restrict federal funding for abortion.
Ned Sharpless, MD, who has led the FDA since former commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, left in April, will return to his role as the head of the National Cancer Institute.
It was not immediately clear when the Senate will vote on Hahn's nomination, according to STAT.
Dr. Hahn, an oncologist and longtime Republican donor, was interviewed for the position Sept. 4, and the White House spent the last two months completing a lengthy background check before formally announcing his nomination. Dr. Hahn has never worked in government.
Trump's nomination of Dr. Hahn goes against the advice of advocacy groups and some former commissioners from both Democrat and Republican administrations who wanted him to nominate Dr. Sharpless, according to STAT.
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