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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
The FDA is getting some much-needed stability. The Trump administration has permanently appointed leaders for three key FDA centers — drugs, vaccines, and tobacco — plus a brand-new AI and technology role. The moves formalize acting directors who've been holding down the fort following a wave of high-profile departures and staff losses that have rattled the agency over the past year.
The FDA is getting some much-needed stability. The Trump administration has permanently appointed leaders for three key FDA centers — drugs, vaccines, and tobacco — plus a brand-new AI and technology role, formalizing acting directors who've been holding the fort following a turbulent stretch of high-profile departures and mass staff losses.
Michael Davis, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and former nonprofit psychedelics researcher, is now the permanent head of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) — the FDA's largest center. His appointment puts him in the driver's seat for upcoming reviews of psychedelic therapies like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD, a priority for both Trump and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Karim Mikhail, BPharm, MSc, a pharmacist and longtime pharma executive, takes the helm at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (vaccines), succeeding the controversial Vinay Prasad. Bret Koplow, PhD, becomes permanent director of the Center for Tobacco Products, and Jared Seehafer steps into a newly created deputy commissioner role overseeing AI and technology.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: After months of leadership vacuums, firings, and resignations, the FDA's ability to function as a reliable regulator of drugs, vaccines, and biologics has been under serious scrutiny. These permanent appointments signal an attempt to restore institutional credibility — though the policy directions of the new leaders will be closely watched by industry, clinicians, and patient advocates alike.
