Breaking: Tracy Beth Høeg, top FDA lieutenant, to lead agency’s drug center

Her appointment follows the abrupt retirement of Richard Pazdur at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Log In    Subscribe BREAKING NEWS   Tracy Beth Høeg, Makary aide who investigated Covid vaccines, to lead FDA drug center By Lizzy Lawrence and Chelsea Cirruzzo Mike Stewart/AP Tracy Beth Høeg, a top lieutenant to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, will be the next leader of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, according to an announcement from the FDA.   Høeg's appointment as the agency's top drug regulator comes after director Richard Pazdur filed paperwork to retire at the end of the month. Pazdur accepted the role less than a month ago at the urging of Makary. Høeg, a sports medicine physician and epidemiologist, will be the fifth person to lead the center this year.  READ MORE Sign up for D.C. Diagnosis Washington never stops. Cut through the noise with our essential updates on health care politics and policy. Learn more. In Case You Missed It 1   How two top FDA officials are quietly upending vaccine regulations By Lizzy Lawrence 2   Inside the rise of Tracy Beth Høeg, the Covid contrarian shaping FDA vaccine policy By Lizzy Lawrence 3   Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur set to leave the FDA By Lizzy Lawrence 4   A dozen former FDA commissioners decry Prasad memo on vaccine regulation By Matthew Herper Get your first 6 months of STAT+ for $20 Unlock in-depth analysis of biopharma and the life sciences. Learn more STAT, 1 Exchange Place, Boston, MA ©2025, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Newsletter Preferences • Contact Us • Advertise with Us