Senate to Vote on Nominee for FDA Commissioner

The Senate voted cloture on the nomination of Dr. Scott Gottlieb to be the next FDA commissioner. His nomination now passes to the Senate for a confirmation vote. Dr. Gottlieb is a physician, cancer survivor, and venture capitalist who believes that FDA regulations are holding back innovation.

What do his critics say?

Critics of Dr. Gottleib are concerned about the millions of dollars of financial ties the nominee has to pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Gottlieb to resign from boards, divest of stock, and recuse himself from decisions that could impact those companies. See this article in the NY Times for more information:

F.D.A. Nominee, Paid Millions by Industry, Says He'll Recuse Himself if Needed

Who supports him?

His nomination is supported by The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America who believe Dr. Gottlieb will modernize regulations at the FDA. Dr. Gottleib also enjoys the support of the pharmaceutical industry as well as Friends of Cancer Research and the National Coalition for Cancer Surivorship. The latter two groups believe that as a cancer survivor, Dr. Gottlieb will open the door for faster approvals of cancer drugs. For more information see this from CNN:

Conflicts surround Trump's FDA pick, Scott Gottlieb

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