According to a White House statement, President Trump intends to nominate Scott Gottlieb, M.D., as FDA Commissioner. Dr. Gottlieb has previously served in government in various capacities, including as deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs, and as a senior official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Bush Administration.

He is currently a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, where he specializes in health care investments, and, according to his American Enterprise Institute ("AEI") biography, is a "resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he studies the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS"). He also focuses on health care reform and political and clinical trends in medicine, including medical innovation and the development of new technology. He is concurrently a clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine and advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a member of the Federal Health IT Policy Committee."

Dr. Gottlieb has financial interest in many companies, including American Pathology Partners or Medavante, and is a member of GlaxoSmithKline's Product Investment Board. Dr. Gottlieb recently stated that, if confirmed, he would divest his interests from any of the companies where he currently holds a financial interest, would resign from his positions at companies where he provides consulting work and would not participate initially in any particular matter involving these companies. The confirmation hearing for Dr. Gottlieb occurred on April 5, 2017.

If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Gottlieb would replace Robert Califf, who resigned in January 2017. Stephen Ostroff, M.D., has been acting Commissioner.