Amazon hires former FDA chief executive for e-health division

Amazon is said to have hired a former chief executive of the US Food and Drug Administration. This Taha Kass-Hout was chief health informatics officer, and probably has to help Amazon bring health hardware to the market.

The hiring of Kass-Hout at Amazon has not been announced publicly, but sources to the US CNBC reported the news. According to the sources, the former FDA chief will work in Amazon’s health division, but the exact plans are not clear.

The fact that Kass-Hout will probably start working at Amazon indicates that the internet giant wants to focus more on e-health. Medical devices typically require FDA approval, supported by safety and effectiveness research data. Kass-Hout could potentially contribute to the development path towards authorization for market access.

Amazon has already indicated that it will focus on health and e-health. However, detailed information about health products is not yet available.