The US Senate has confirmed Stephen Hahn as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in a 72-to-18 vote, the New York Times reports.
President Donald Trump nominated Hahn to the position last month following the return of Ned Sharpless, the acting commissioner, to the National Cancer Institute. The previous permanent head of FDA, Scott Gottlieb, stepped down in the spring. Hahn, a radiation oncologist, has been serving as the chief medical executive of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In his confirmation hearings, Hahn fielded questions from lawmakers about not only about vaping, but also about whether he would prioritize science and public health over politics, CNN adds.
Research and doctors' groups have praised Hahn's confirmation, CNN notes.
"We look forward to working with Dr. Hahn on initiatives to improve the drug development process, streamline and modernize clinical trials, harness big data to better learn from every patient, and to reduce and eliminate tobacco-related diseases, including cancer," Howard Burris, the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, says in a statement.