Trump to Nominate Heidi Overton for FDA Commissioner

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Dr. Heidi Overton, a White House domestic policy official and a proponent of the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, to serve as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The expected nomination comes as the agency, which regulates products accounting for roughly a fifth of U.S. consumer spending, navigates a period of significant staff turnover and political pressure.

Overton, a physician with a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University, currently serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House. In this role, she has been a central figure in shaping and executing the administration's health care agenda, working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services. Her portfolio has included leading efforts to redesign the food pyramid, overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, and negotiate pricing deals with pharmaceutical companies.

She would succeed Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned as FDA commissioner in May after 13 months in the position. His departure, attributed to clashes with staff...