New FDA Chief Should Have Medical Experience, Drugmakers Say
- Trump considering two lacking clinical, research background
- America’s role in drug discovery could suffer, Ovid CEO says
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should have a medical background, and the agency should continue evaluating new medications’ effectiveness, drugmaker executives said in comments indicating opposition to two candidates for the regulator’s top post.
Trump’s FDA chief should be a doctor or physician-scientist with experience in clinical care and medical research, said Roger Perlmutter, head of research and development for Merck & Co. The president-elect is considering appointing former biotechnology industry executive Balaji Srinivasan and Jim O’Neill, a Silicon Valley investor, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Neither has a medical background, and O’Neill has suggested that the FDA should focus solely on new drugs’ safety, leaving the market to decide whether they work.