U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is resigning, according to multiple reports released today. According to the Washington Post, he will officially leave his post in about a month.
It has been reported that Gottlieb’s resignation did not come at the request of the White House. Gottlieb did speak with President Donald Trump, who reportedly likes the Commissioner—despite some policy disagreements with the White House—and did not want him to resign. In March 2017, President Trump nominated Gottlieb for the post he is preparing to exit. At the time, his nomination drew strong criticism for his ties to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Still, Gottlieb was praised by industry executives for his strong science background coupled with plenty of management experience.