President Donald Trump is expected to nominate conservative health policy expert Dr. Scott Gottlieb to head the Food and Drug Administration, media outlets including Bloomberg, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Gottlieb, a former FDA deputy commissioner, is a partner at venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates and a fellow at the conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute. Gottlieb writes widely about health care issues, and has advocated for reducing the FDA’s regulatory role in various areas, including stem cells and medical devices. A survey done by Mizuho asking 53 drug companies which candidate they preferred found that the vast majority — 72% — liked Gottlieb. Gottlieb is a former “academic affiliate” of a group that defends pharmaceutical companies’ high drug prices, ProPublica reported late last month. SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF shares have surged 6.8% over the last three months, compared with a 4.8% rise in the S&P 500 .
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