U.S. Senate Confirms Hahn as New FDA Commissioner
The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Stephen Hahn, M.D. as the 24th Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hahn was confirmed by the Senate on a 72-18 vote. Hahn was previously a professor of radiation oncology and the chief medical officer of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and had not previously served in any official government capacity.
During his confirmation hearing, Hahn faced a series of questioning from Senators on whether he intended to finalize the FDA’s proposed ban on the sale of flavored electronic cigarette products. Hahn ultimately did not commit to finalizing the ban, but indicated the urgency and importance of the issue, remarking, “I very much agree and support that aggressive action needs to be taken to protect our children.”
As FDA Commissioner, Hahn is expected to face a number of pressing public health- and health-related issues, including on topics such as opioids, prescription drug pricing, regulation of food and dietary supplements containing CBD, and food safety standards, among others. Additional information on Hahn is available here.