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# Is Trump Looking at Pence’s Health Commissioner for HHS Role?
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/is-trump-looking-at-pences-health-commissioner-for-hhs-role/
- Published: 2016-11-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T21:50:06.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5137407

President-elect **Donald Trump** met with Indiana state health commissioner **Jerome Adams** on 11/21, presumably as a candidate for HHS secretary or another health-related position in the new administration. They discussed establishing better doctor–patient relationships, healthcare challenges Americans face each day with Obamacare, and ideas for enacting improved healthcare policies, Trump’s transition [Web site](https://www.greatagain.gov/news/readout-meetings-held-monday-november-21-president-elect-donald-j-trump-and-national-leaders.html?ref=fdaweb.com) said.

Adams may have some inside help because he was appointed to his state position by vice president-elect **Mike Pence**. Previously, Adams served as assistant professor of clinical anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine. Before that, he was a general anesthesiologist at Muncie’s Ball Memorial Hospital and was a physician rapid responder at the Indianapolis Orthopedic Hospital.

Adams received an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland/Baltimore County, a masters of public health from the University of California/Berkeley and his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Meanwhile, Trump has released a brief video outlining his priorities for the first 100 days in office. Most notably, healthcare issues, including repealing Obamacare, were absent. He said he would focus on trade, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which does have medical product implications. Recently, five organizations that represent consumers, retirees, and patients or that provide medical care globally raised concern about the potential for an extension of the monopoly protection for biologics in the TPP implementing legislation and/or side letters. A 10/26 [letter](http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/politics/advocacy/2016/10/letter-to-president-obama--tpp-biologics-june26-2016-aarp.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) to President **Barak Obama** from AARP, the AFL-CIO, Oxfam America, Consumers Union, and Doctors Without Borders said the changes could bind the U.S. to a 12-year market exclusivity period for biologics and block the U.S. and other countries from reducing the amount of time that biologic drugs are protected from competition from less expensive biosimilars.

Additionally, Trump said another of his priorities would aim to eliminate unnecessary regulations. He said he will put in place a new rule that will direct agencies to eliminate two regulations for every new regulation proposed.