We understand there are a lot of concerning things happening on Capitol Hill. Here are three facts you should know about Gottlieb and why we have concerns about his nomination.

1. He’s a millionaire investor in health care companies.

He’s made millions consulting for and investing in the pharmaceutical industry.

2. He has deep financial ties to big pharma.

He received over $400,000 in payments from pharma between 2013 and 2015.

3. He’s already shown he prioritizes big pharma’s interests before public safety.

Here are just two of many examples where his judgment was compromised from his close ties to pharmaceutical companies, like Pfizer, whom he received payments from:

• He demanded an explanation from agency scientists for rejecting a Pfizer osteoporosis drug found to increase blood clots. An agency scientist said that Gottlieb’s leadership “confirmed people’s worst fears” that Gottlieb would only be happy with results that benefited big pharma.
• He also denounced results from the Women’s Health Initiative that Pfizer’s drug Prempro caused breast cancer, calling the results “premature, indefinite, or just plain wrong.” He also criticized the NIH for publicly announcing these safety concerns. He claimed that it was part of “a carefully orchestrated PR blitz,” when in fact, this NIH public safety announcement helped save thousands of women from breast cancer diagnosis and death.

As an FDA watchdog, you can count on the National Women’s Health Network to scrutinize the acts of those, like Scott Gottlieb, whose mission compromises the health and safety of women. In the midst of chaos on Capitol Hill, we will continue to speak out for women at the FDA, letting them know that corporate profits or political ideology should never trump the health and safety of women.

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