As a medical director and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Dr. Overton has worked on several of the administration’s health policy priorities.
“Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she has a medical degree from the University of New Mexico and a doctoral degree in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Overton was the chief policy officer at the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute.
Dr. Overton must still be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, she would face a number of competing priorities, including President Trump’s policy agenda, Republican calls for deregulation and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s more anti-corporate approach to health policy, the Associated Press reported.
Dr. Marty Makary, MD, the previous FDA commissioner who resigned in May, left a portfolio of projects including work on COVID-19 shots and ultra-processed foods. Kyle Diamantas, JD, who previously led the FDA’s Human Foods Program, has served as acting commissioner since May. In his previous role, Diamantas oversaw the agency’s nutrition and food safety activities, including policy initiatives and risk-prioritization strategy.
As the new FDA head, Dr. Overton will take the helm as several regulatory initiatives are underway, including a proposal to require companies to notify FDA of their GRAS determinations, as well as questions around how the agency will regulate peptides.
‘Competition, affordability, transparency’
Dan Fabricant, CEO and president of the Natural Products Association (NPA), described Dr. Overton as “somewhat of a blank slate.” While some have characterized her as aligned with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, Fabricant said she has not necessarily demonstrated a pro-peptide position.
“We want to ask the questions to see where Overton lands on things,” Fabricant said. “Is she willing to view supplements objectively and look at the science?”
Dr. Overton has expressed caution about easing restrictions on unapproved peptide injections because of limited human safety and efficacy studies.
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) said it supports Dr. Overton’s nomination because she has led CBD policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council.
“In our engagement with her, AHPA has found her committed to strong scientific principles alongside a pro-innovation posture,” said Graham Rigby, AHPA president and CEO. “When contributing to the development of policy for full-spectrum CBD products, she consulted not only scientific literature but also key industry resources, including the AHPA Hemp Lexicon. Her work on crucial hemp and CBD policy demonstrates a clear commitment to health, science and patient access to health-promoting products.”
Access to consumer health products was also central to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s (CHPA) support for Overton. The organization’s president and CEO Scott Melville said CHPA was encouraged by Dr. Overton’s expressed interest in expanding Rx-to-OTC switch opportunities, increasing consumer access to self-care options and exploring ways to bring innovative healthcare products to market more efficiently.
“Her public support for policies that promote competition, affordability, transparency, and informed consumer decision-making reflects the important role self-care can play in helping Americans take greater control of their health,” Melville said.
