Trump surgeon general nominee disclosed investments in tobacco, beverage and drug companies

BY MIRABEL ODETA

President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. surgeon general disclosed investments in tobacco, beverage, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as part of an ethics agreement released this week, documents show.

Dr. Nicole Saphier reported holdings involving Philip Morris International as well as beverage companies Monster Beverage, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Under the ethics agreement, Saphier pledged to completely or partially divest from the companies covered by the agreement.

Her planned divestitures also include investments in a number of major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Eli Lilly, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck and AbbVie.

The disclosures come as the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has placed a strong emphasis on addressing diet, processed foods and chronic disease. Kennedy has repeatedly called for greater attention to what he describes as unhealthy and highly processed foods.

Saphier has similarly spoken publicly about reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods, removing certain food additives and encouraging exercise as part of broader efforts to improve public health.

She is also the founder of DropRx, a company that sells herbal supplements described as physician-formulated products.

Saphier is a physician and serves as director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Monmouth, New Jersey, location. According to her ethics agreement, she is taking an unpaid leave of absence from the hospital while pursuing the government position.

The surgeon general serves as the nation’s leading public health spokesperson and is responsible for communicating health information and scientific guidance to the American public. The position also involves overseeing the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Saphier’s nomination is the Trump administration’s third attempt to fill the surgeon general position during the president’s current term. The administration previously nominated Janette Nesheiwat and Casey Means, but both nominations were withdrawn before they were confirmed by the Senate.

Trump nominated Saphier in April after Means’ nomination was withdrawn. The Senate formally received Saphier’s nomination in May and referred it to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Saphier’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, before the Senate HELP Committee. The hearing will also consider nominations for Chris Klomp to serve as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services and Timothy Westlake to serve as assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.

The financial disclosures are likely to draw attention during the confirmation process because the surgeon general’s office plays a prominent role in communicating federal public health guidance. Saphier’s ethics agreement is intended to address potential conflicts involving her personal financial holdings if she is confirmed.

Her nomination will now move to the Senate confirmation process, where lawmakers are expected to examine her professional background, financial interests and views on a range of public health issues before deciding whether to advance her nomination.