Trump expected to pick Heidi Overton to lead FDA

The White House is close to naming its next FDA chief, several outlets reported Tuesday. The pick: Heidi Overton, a deputy director on the White House's Domestic Policy Council. If confirmed, she'd oversee approval of every new drug and vaccine sold in America. The White House hasn't confirmed the pick itself. Every report so far traces to unnamed sources familiar with the decision.

The FDA has been without a permanent leader for months. Its last commissioner, Marty Makary, left the post earlier this year. Overton was one of three finalists reported back in June, alongside an oncologist and a Pentagon health official. As recently as Tuesday, a Georgia congressman was still being floated as another option. That shows how unsettled this pick still is.

Keep reading — what to watch

Will Overton actually get confirmed? A White House aide moving into an FDA role isn't unusual, but she'd still need Senate approval. She also hasn't run a federal health agency before. What she prioritizes once in the job will matter for years. Faster drug approvals, tighter industry rules, or something else entirely will shape how Americans get their medicine. That influence will long outlast this appointment's news cycle.