Stephen Hahn Confirmed as New FDA Chief

The US Senate voted 72 to 18 on Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump nominee Stephen Hahn as the next FDA Commissioner. The radiation oncologist, who was recently cleared by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, replaces Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down in April. 

Hahn becomes the fourth commissioner at the agency this year. Ned Sharpless filled the role on an acting basis after Gottlieb’s departure, but returned to his job as director of the National Cancer Institute following Hahn’s nomination. Meanwhile, Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the US Department of Health & Human Services, has been in the role since then. 

Robert Califf, who served as FDA commissioner during the administration of former President Barack Obama, said key issues facing Hahn include the ongoing opioid epidemic. Califf, who now heads health policy and strategy for Alphabet’s Verily Life Sciences and Google Health divisions, also urged Hahn to press forward with agency efforts to incorporate “real-world evidence” in evaluating drugs, saying “we need much better evidence about medical products in practice.” 

Another issue that Hahn may confront involves Trump’s recent pledge to allow some states to import prescription medicines from abroad, including Canada, in a bid to tackle high drug prices in the US.