Aug 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to appoint two new deputy commissioners at the Food and Drug Administration, CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
One role would focus on technology, including healthcare and AI, while the other would oversee drugs, according to two people familiar with the plans.
No final decisions have been made and the agency has not formally announced the appointments, the report said.
Jared Seehafer is the leading candidate for the technology role, according to three people familiar with the matter, although the report did not disclose the candidate chosen for the deputy commissioner role for drugs.
Last week, President Donald Trump named White House policy aide Heidi Overton to lead the FDA, turning to an “America First” ally to steady an agency shaken by staff losses, low morale and fights over vaccines, the abortion pill and drug approvals.
Overton’s appointment still needs to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Trump’s previous FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, had resigned in May after 13 months in the job. His resignation followed clashes with White House officials over flavored vapes, a stalled abortion-pill safety study, and public disagreements with drugmakers such as Replimune, Sarepta and Moderna over reviews of potentially lifesaving medicines and vaccines.
Kyle Diamantas had served as acting FDA chief since May. Under his watch, the agency has reversed course on several drug approvals or reopened regulatory consideration for rare-disease therapies from Regenxbio, uniQure and Replimune.
(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)
