White House announces a new acting FDA commissioner

Ned Sharpless.
(Image credit: National Institutes of Health)

The White House has tabbed an acting replacement for outgoing Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who announced his resignation last week and will leave the post next month. National Cancer Institute Director Ned Sharpless will step into the role as the Trump administration searches for Gottlieb's permanent successor, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar confirmed on Tuesday. Stat News noted that it's unclear whether Sharpless is a contender for the long-term job.

Stat News reports that Sharpless is "an enthusiastic supporter" of Gottlieb's fight to impose more regulations on tobacco and e-cigarettes and is already "well-acquainted" with the agency.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.