By Canadian Press

FDA chief Scott Gottlieb steps down after nearly 2 years

Mar 5, 2019 | 2:50 PM

WASHINGTON — Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is stepping down after nearly two years leading the agency’s response to a host of public health challenges, including the opioid epidemic, rising drug prices and underage vaping.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Gottlieb’s planned resignation in a statement Tuesday.

President Donald Trump tapped Gottlieb in 2017 to “cut red tape” at the FDA.

Gottlieb bucked expectations by pushing the agency to expand its authorities in several key ways, including an unprecedented effort to make cigarettes less addictive by requiring lower nicotine levels.

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More recently, Gottlieb has been criticized for not acting sooner to address an explosion in teenage use of e-cigarettes.

The Associated Press