Scott Gottlieb, MD, has resigned as the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Dr. Gottlieb has served as the FDA commissioner since May 2017. He will leave his current post sometime in the next month, according to a multiple published reports. In a tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Dr. Gottlieb for his service, stating the commissioner's talents will be greatly missed.
During his tenure, Dr. Gottlieb took an aggressive stance against opioid misuse and abuse, including adding more stringent requirements to immediate-release opioid pain medications.
More recently, his office announced plans to help curtail teen vaping, which spiked in 2018.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar commended Dr. Gottlieb's efforts. In a tweet, he stated, "All of us are proud of the remarkable work Commissioner Gottlieb has done at the FDA. He has been an exemplary public health leader, aggressive advocate for American patients, and passionate promoter of innovation."
