In a surprise move, Scott Gottlieb, MD, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is leaving the agency in April, according to a report in The Washington Post. Gottlieb was appointed to the position in May 2017 by President Trump.
Robert Califf, who preceded Gottlieb as commissioner, told The Post his successor did “a great job” and followed through on Obama administration efforts, such as encouraging the use of “real-world evidence” to augment clinical trials.
In a resignation letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Gottlieb noted his work to reduce tobacco use, discourage teen use of e-cigarettes, address the opioid epidemic, and improve access to generic drugs.
“I’m confident that the FDA will continue to advance all these efforts, and many other goals,” Gottlieb wrote.
Azar called Gottlieb an “exemplary public health leader, aggressive advocate for American patients, and passionate promoter of innovation. …The public health of our country is better off for the work Scott and the entire FDA team have done over the last two years.”
“We appreciated Dr. Gottlieb’s influence as a champion of new technologies, processes, and people as ways to improve clinical trial efficiency and develop innovative therapies,” said ACRP Executive Director Jim Kremidas. “He clearly recognized the important role clinical trials play in improving health and prolonging life.”
Author: Michael Causey
