Key facts
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to appoint two new deputy commissioners at the FDA.
- One new role will focus on technology, including healthcare and AI.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to appoint two new deputy commissioners at the Food and Drug Administration, one focused on technology and AI, and the other on drugs. Jared Seehafer is a leading candidate for the technology role.
The planned appointments signal a potential restructuring within the FDA to address evolving technological landscapes and drug oversight, aiming to stabilize an agency that has experienced significant staff turnover and faced controversies.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to create two new deputy commissioner positions at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One role would concentrate on technology, encompassing areas like healthcare and artificial intelligence, while the other would be dedicated to overseeing drugs. Jared Seehafer is identified as the leading candidate for the technology-focused position, though no candidate has been disclosed for the drug oversight role.
These potential appointments come as the FDA navigates a period of transition. Last week, President Donald Trump nominated White House policy aide Heidi Overton to lead the agency, an appointment that requires U.S. Senate confirmation. Overton's selection follows the resignation of former FDA commissioner Marty Makary in May, after a tenure marked by disagreements on issues such as flavored vapes, abortion pill safety studies, and drug reviews.
Since May, Kyle Diamantas has been serving as the acting FDA chief. During his interim leadership, the agency has revisited decisions on several drug approvals and reconsidered regulatory pathways for rare-disease therapies from companies including Regenxbio, uniQure, and Replimune. The report indicates that no final decisions have been made regarding the new deputy commissioner roles, and the FDA has not yet made a formal announcement.