Gottlieb sets a new standard for FDA commissioner

When the Trump administration tapped Gottlieb to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year, branded-drug manufacturers and their investors celebrated. Others were less exuberant.

Industry observers expected Gottlieb, who advised GlaxoSmithKline and was a board member for several other drug and device makers, to protect Big Pharma’s interests.

Yet, about a year later, the FDA commissioner has quieted many of his critics. An unprecedented level of transparency and public disclosure has garnered support from across the industry. Gottlieb has tried to curb drug prices by introducing more generics. The public health community praised his policies that look to lower salt content in food and nicotine in cigarettes, as well as crack down on opioid distributors and websites.”