The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s choice of Scott Gottlieb as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Washington Post reported.

Gottlieb, a medical doctor and former FDA deputy commissioner, was criticised for his ties to pharmaceutical companies during confirmation hearings that revealed little about his views on tobacco regulation. The vote to confirm was 57 to 42 along party lines, the Post said. As the top FDA official, Gottlieb will oversee the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, the chief regulatory body for the US tobacco industry. He replaces Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff.