U.S. President Trump said Friday that he intended to nominate Scott Gottlieb to lead the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Gottlieb served as a top official at the agency during the administration of President George W. Bush.
Gottlieb is a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, where he focuses on healthcare investments. During his previous stint at the FDA, he served in a variety of roles, including deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs.
Gottlieb also has longstanding ties to the drug industry, according to The New York Times. He served as a consultant or board member for several companies, including GlaxoSmithKline and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Vapor industry representatives cautiously welcomed Gottlieb’s nomination, pointing to his appreciation of the harm reduction concept.
As a frequent contributor to news media organizations such as Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, Gottlieb has urged the FDA to move more quickly to approve treatments and said it can be too bureaucratic.
In 2013, he published an article questioning the legislative underpinnings of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.