US Food and Drug Chief to Resign

US Food and Drug Chief to Resign

The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is resigning after nearly two years on the job.

Scott Gottleib will step down as commissioner in about a month, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar II said Tuesday.

Gottleib has presided over the FDA's aggressive push to restrict the use of e-cigarettes by young Americans, require lower nicotine levels in cigarettes in order to make them less addictive, speed approval times for cheap generic medicines in an effort to bring down prescription drug prices, and combat the country's deadly opioid crisis.

News of the resignation comes a day after the FDA released a list of 15 leading retail chains that regularly sell tobacco products to underage consumers.

Gottleib was tapped for the job in 2017 and has since enjoyed the support of President Donald Trump and senior leaders from both parties.

The 46-year-old physician said he was leaving to spend more time with his wife and three young daughters.

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