The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to appoint two new deputy commissioners at the Food and Drug Administration, according to a report citing CNBC. The positions would be split between oversight of technology—including health and artificial intelligence—and medications, with no formal announcements yet made.
Jared Seehafer has been identified as the leading candidate for the technology-focused deputy commissioner role, which would encompass areas such as health innovation and AI applications in regulatory frameworks. The second deputy commissioner position, dedicated to medications, has not yet had a named candidate, the report stated.
The planned appointments come as the FDA awaits Senate confirmation of Heidi Overton, a White House policy advisor nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as FDA commissioner. Overton’s nomination was submitted last week and remains pending legislative approval. The agency has not indicated a timeline for the deputy commissioner appointments or the confirmation process for Overton.
The FDA’s deputy commissioners play key roles in shaping policy across critical areas, including technological innovation and drug regulation, which have increasingly intersected in recent years.
