The other pharma-related thing happening in Washington
Today, the Senate health committee will vote on the nomination of Dr. Stephen Hahn as the next FDA commissioner. And, if his prior confirmation hearing is any clue, the Texas oncologist will have no trouble advancing to a full Senate vote, marking a striking contrast from his predecessor.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who took the FDA job in 2017, was grilled for his ties to pharma, his financial holdings, and his political ideology. Only two Democrats voted for him to clear the health committee, and he passed the full Senate by a margin of 57 to 42.
Hahn’s comparatively smooth trip toward confirmation could be due to the fact that there are far bigger storylines in Washington than the future of the FDA. But it could also be a testament to his lack of policy priors. Where Gottlieb arrived with reams of published opinions about how the FDA should work, Hahn is a relative blank slate. His health committee hearing offered little in the way of controversy, and today’s vote looks unlikely to change that.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who took the FDA job in 2017, was grilled for his ties to pharma, his financial holdings, and his political ideology. Only two Democrats voted for him to clear the health committee, and he passed the full Senate by a margin of 57 to 42.
Hahn’s comparatively smooth trip toward confirmation could be due to the fact that there are far bigger storylines in Washington than the future of the FDA. But it could also be a testament to his lack of policy priors. Where Gottlieb arrived with reams of published opinions about how the FDA should work, Hahn is a relative blank slate. His health committee hearing offered little in the way of controversy, and today’s vote looks unlikely to change that.
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