President Donald Trump will nominate Stephen Hahn, a radiation oncologist at Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, to replace acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Hahn is expected to be nominated by next week, according to the Journal, citing people familiar with the situation.
Sharpless, a former director of the National Cancer Institute, was thought to be one of the top candidates to be nominated by Trump for the post of permanent chief of the Food and Drug Administration. Sharpless took over the lead FDA role in April after Scott Gottlieb resigned to spend more time with his family.
However, the Journal reported last month that Hahn, a 59-year-old senior executive who is board certified in medical oncology and radiation oncology, emerged as the leading candidate.
The White House and FDA did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.