Report: Trump considers ex-Mela Sciences CEO Gulfo for FDA chief

A name familiar to the medical device industry has surfaced as a possible nominee to lead the FDA: the Trump administration is reportedly mulling Dr. Joseph Gulfo, the former CEO of Mela Sciences (now Strata Skin Sciences (NSDQ:SSKN)), for FDA commissioner. Dr. Stephen Ostroff is leading the federal safety watchdog on an interim basis, after the resignation of Dr. Robert Califf Jan. 20 ahead of last week’s inauguration. Early speculation had Jim O’Neill, a libertarian and Silicon Valley investor with no medical experience, as the leading candidate to replace Ostroff. O’Neill has made controversial statements about the federal safety watchdog, including in 2014 when he said that the agency should no longer evaluate whether medical devices or drugs are effective when considering them for approval. That statement was viewed harshly by experts, with some saying that it demonstrates how O’Neill’s lack of medical experience could be a problem. A medical background is usually considered a prerequisite for the position as FDA chair. Earlier this month venture capitalist Dr. Scott Gottlieb, an Obamacare foe who’s also a former deputy commissioner at the federal safety watchdog, emerging as the reported forerunner. Gottlieb, a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, is also an assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine and a former practicing physician and hospitalist. At the FDA Gottlieb served as senior adviser for ...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Tags: Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Wall Street Beat MELA Sciences Inc. Personnel Moves Strata Skin Sciences Source Type: news