Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced his resignation effective in April after two years of leadership, The Hill reported Tuesday.
He sent a letter to FDA staff announcing his decision, explaining that he is leaving to spend more time with his family.
“There’s nothing that could pull me away from this role other than the challenge of being apart from my family for these past two years and missing my wife and two young children,” Gottlieb wrote.
During his tenure, the FDA launched new campaigns to address the opioid epidemic and vaping in the U.S. It also moved to speed up approvals for generic drugs. Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services, praised Gottlieb for being an “aggressive advocate for American patients and passionate promoter of innovation.â€
“The public health of our country is better off for the work Scott and the entire FDA team have done over the last two years,†Azar said in a statement.
Gottlieb first served at FDA as a deputy commissioner under former President George W. Bush. He left the agency in 2007 and returned after a decade to serve as commissioner. The Trump Administration has yet to announce a replacement.
