Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"August 19, 2026 3 min read Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, will face a Senate committee for a nomination hearing. Experts highlighted their concerns with the pick, including the promotion of personal ideologies over evidence-based science. Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, has been nominated to lead the FDA. The pick from President Donald J. Trump comes months after Martin Makary, MD, resigned from the position in May. Trump has announced his new pick for the FDA commissioner. Image: Adobe Stock Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post Wednesday, calling Overton \u201ca ROCKSTAR\u201d in the administration, \u201cwhere she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History.\u201d Overton is currently deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. She previously served as a White House fellow in Trump\u2019s first term and chief policy officer and vice chair of America First\u2019s Center for a Healthy America. Reaction Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, founding head of the division of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Healio that the nomination is a \u201ccluster of red flags.\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s a super enthusiastic MAHA supporter, and that doesn\u2019t really lend itself to a having a background in the key aspects of FDA work \u2014 approving new drugs and therapies and watching out for the need to recall dangerous drugs. I don\u2019t see that in her background,\u201d Caplan said. \u201cShe\u2019s trained well … I just don\u2019t see her having done much in the particular core space when it comes to things like FDA\u2019s responsibilities.\u201d Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, professor at Georgetown Law and director of the O\u2019Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown University, agreed. \u201cOn paper, Dr. Overton is qualified, as she has strong medical and academic credentials. But her background does not align with the traditional regulatory depth associated with the head of the FDA,\u201d he told Healio. \u201cMost concerning are her clearly partisan leanings. She will bring a fiercely ideological perspective to the FDA, making her unsuitable to handle scientific decisions including those regarding vaccines and reproductive health.\u201d One of Caplan\u2019s major issues is that Overton stood behind Trump at a recent press conference where he issued an executive order recommending that the U.S. reduce the number of vaccines recommended for all children. \u201c[Considering] her endorsement of that executive order by Trump on vaccines, I don\u2019t think she would be trustworthy,\u201d he said. Caplan said another big issue for him is accessibility of abortion pills. \u201cFDA, for political reasons, ideological reasons, has opened up another investigation into the safety of those pills. It\u2019s been established again and again that they are safe and that they do work,\u201d he said. Caplan questioned whether Overton\u2019s personal beliefs will \u201cundermine the evidence\u201d of abortion pills. According to reporting by The New York Times, acting FDA commissioner Kyle Diamantas, JD, declined to be a candidate for the position permanently. \u201cRight now … the FDA role is an extremely tough one,\u201d Caplan said, highlighting recent food contamination issues, which may put off some candidates, and skepticism toward government regulation. Gostin agreed, saying the FDA commissioner position \u201chas become politicized by the Trump administration.\u201d Next steps Before officially taking the position, Overton must face the Senate\u2019s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, which has previously been a roadblock for the administration\u2019s picks. Just a few weeks before Makary\u2019s resignation, Trump pulled his surgeon general nominee because she did not have enough votes to clear the committee. More recently, on Aug. 5, the Senate confirmed Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as the next CDC director. Gostin said he expects Overton to take the position because the administration \u201chas managed to push controversial candidates through Senate confirmation.\u201d Caplan said the vote will likely hinge on members like HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La. \u201cIt\u2019s the usual close call,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s tough to predict. People I didn\u2019t think would necessarily get approved have gotten approved after some tough questioning, making some promises. It\u2019s going to be close.” For more information: Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, and Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, can be reached at primarycare@healio.com. Sources\/Disclosures Source: Healio Interviews References: Disclosures: Caplan and Gostin report no relevant financial disclosures. Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling\/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. 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