FDA Policy/General

FDA’s No. 2 Brenner May Move to CDC Senior Role

A senior FDA official is poised to play a key role in a potential leadership overhaul at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the White House weighs naming president Trump’s former deputy U.S. surgeon general Erica Schwartz as director, according to multiple reports. Sarah Brenner, currently FDA’s No. 2 senior official and principal deputy commissioner, is expected to move to the CDC as part of a broader leadership team under consideration by the White House. The proposed slate, which has not been finalized, reflects an effort by the administration to stabilize the nation’s top public health agency after more than a year of leadership turbulence.

Schwartz has emerged as the leading candidate to head the CDC. A retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, she would be the administration’s third attempt to install a permanent director since Trump returned to office last year. The CDC has lacked consistent leadership, with a permanent director in place for only a brief period during that time. Previous efforts faltered amid political and policy disputes, particularly around vaccine safety and federal immunization strategy.

In addition to Brenner’s anticipated move, the administration is considering Sean Slovenski, a former Walmart executive, for a chief operating officer role, and Jennifer Shuford, an infectious-disease physician, for a senior medical position, according to the Washington Post. The team was reportedly put forward by Chris Klomp, a senior counselor at the Department of Health and Human Services tasked with restoring stability across federal health agencies.

The CDC’s leadership vacuum follows earlier failed nominations. Former congressman Dave Weldon withdrew from consideration in 2025 after facing Senate resistance, while acting director Susan Monarez was dismissed months later amid clashes with HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy changes.

Schwartz’s potential nomination comes at a critical juncture for the CDC, which is grappling with a growing measles outbreak, ongoing legal challenges tied to vaccine policy shifts, and internal workforce instability. Administration officials are attempting to balance competing political pressures — including skepticism of vaccines among some allies — with the need to secure Senate confirmation and restore confidence in the agency.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome