"Houman Hemmati is under consideration to lead the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. A final decision has not been made."
"The Trump administration is considering Houman Hemmati, an ophthalmologist, entrepreneur and frequent Fox News guest, to serve as the nation’s next top regulator of vaccines and treatments for complex diseases, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.
If selected, Hemmati would replace Vinay Prasad, who is slated to leave the high-ranking position at the Food and Drug Administration at the end of April after a rocky year. Prasad had overseen controversial decisions about drugs and a new plan to tighten vaccine approvals, which drew condemnation from former agency leaders.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is said to favor Hemmati, two of the people said. A final decision has not been made, according to the three people.
Hemmati, if given the job, would arrive amid scrutiny from the White House on FDA operations. Concerns over the agency’s direction mounted late last year as leadership turned over, rattling the drug industry, which relies on a predictable FDA to understand what it needs to do to win approvals for new treatments."
Rachel Roubein and Dan Diamond report for the Washington Post April 13, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Top CDC Director Pick Erica Schwartz Tests White House Political Balancing Act" (Washington Post)
