Donald Trump is rumored to be planning to nominate Scott Gottlieb to the role of Commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration, according to a report published by CNN.

Gottlieb is described by CNN as a ‘conservative physician with deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry’. He is currently a Partner at venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates and sits on the Board of and serves as an advisor to several pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmithKline. His ties to the industry are proving controversial, with some commentators claiming that this will affect his ability to prioritise consumer safety and others arguing that industry experience is a key qualification for the job.

“President Trump’s FDA pick Scott Gottlieb is entangled in an unprecedented web of Big Pharma ties. He has spent most of his career dedicated to promoting the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry and the US Senate must reject him,” Michael Carome, Director of the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group said in a statement.