The announcement on March 5th (in a staff letter which was shared on Twitter) that Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the FDA, would resign at the end of the month has created considerable speculation in the press. Along with questions about why (Dr. Gottlieb gave family and commute home as his reasons to step down) there is considerable discussion about what this means for the agency’s actions through the remainder of the current presidency. Many have noted the agency’s efforts to curb teen vaping, with the industry comments seeing a favorable decline in enforcement actions while public health advocates share concerns on that expected decline. I’ve noticed a significant increase in guidance and information from the agency during Dr. Gottlieb’s tenure, a point shared by others, along with a significant increase in drug and device approvals. I think the country was well served by his balanced approach and this assessment will be borne out as the agency proceeds under new leadership. Hopefully the next commissioner will be able to balance the competing demands of the position as well as Dr. Gottlieb.

Text Copyright © 2019 Katrina Rogers