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Commentary By Paul Howard, Tom Coburn

MI Responds: Scott Gottlieb Confirmed as FDA Commissioner

Health, Health FDA Reform, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals

I applaud both President Trump and the U.S. Senate on the confirmation of Dr. Scott Gottlieb as FDA Commissioner. At a time of both unprecedented scientific opportunity and rapidly evolving public health challenges, Dr. Gottlieb provides the FDA with principled and pragmatic leadership. His experience as a regulator, practicing physician, cancer survivor, and innovator will help the agency navigate the scientific challenges surrounding drug and medical device development and approval without losing sight of the real-world implications of the agency’s decisions for patients struggling with potentially life threatening conditions.

—Paul Howard, Senior Fellow and Director, Health Policy

By choosing Dr. Gottlieb to lead the FDA, President Trump has signaled his commitment to streamlining outdated drug development regulations and putting patients first. By confirming his appointment, the Senate has signaled that it understands the need for bold leadership at the agency as it helps innovators unlock the full potential of new technologies like gene therapy, address the nation’s growing opioid crisis, and maintain the nation’s preparedness for emerging threats like Ebola or pandemic flu.

Tom Coburn, Nick Ohnell Fellow and Advisor, Project FDA

MI Responds features real-time commentary from MI scholars on breaking news and developing issues. 

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Paul Howard is a senior fellow and director of health policy at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here.

Dr. Tom Coburn is the Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a former two-term U.S. Senator from Oklahoma.