“The Trump administration is narrowing down candidates for a new post to coordinate the development of Covid-19 therapies and vaccines, with a former National Institutes of Health director emerging as a leading choice.”
“Elias Zerhouni, who led NIH during the George W. Bush administration, is among the favorites to fill the role, said five individuals with knowledge of the search. Zerhouni, a radiologist who led global research and development for pharma giant Sanofi between 2011 and 2018, has professional ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who served as HHS deputy secretary while Zerhouni was NIH director.”
“Zerhouni is thought to be the favorite, said two people, and one person said that Azar personally prefers Zerhouni for the role…”
“President Donald Trump on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that the White House coronavirus task force would ‘continue on indefinitely’ and be ‘very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics.’ Behind the scenes, the administration has been seeking an established leader to guide such work across government agencies, and officials have spent days considering possible candidates and the potential structure of a ‘therapeutics czar,’ who could sit at HHS, the White House or the Department of Defense…” Read the full article here.
Source: Former NIH chief favored as Trump’s ‘therapeutics czar’ – By Dan Diamond and Adam Cancryn, May 8, 2020. POLITICO.
