Trump Nominates White House Policy Aide Heidi Overton as FDA Commissioner After Months of Agency Turmoil

President Trump has selected Heidi Overton, a White House domestic policy aide and medical doctor who holds the title of deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, to be the next FDA commissioner. The pick comes after months of turbulence at the agency following the departure of former commissioner Marty Makary, during which acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas has been credited with stabilizing operations. Overton had been among a field of finalists that also included oncologist Jeffrey Vacirca and senior Pentagon health official Stephen Ferrara.

The nomination is significant because the FDA has been working to repair its relationship with the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and to rehire critical staff lost during the prior period of upheaval, even as the agency faces pressure from rising competition with China in biopharma and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in drug development.