Federal Trade Commission names Aviv Nevo as director of economics bureau

The United States’ Federal Trade Commission has appointed Aviv Nevo as the next director of the agency’s bureau of economics.

He takes up the role following the sudden departure of Marta Wosinska in February, who resigned following internal disagreements over a proposed study into pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to Politico.

Nevo will start work in January, and joins from the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a professor with appointments in the Wharton School of Business and the Department of Economics.

Prior to this, Nevo was a professor of economics at Northwestern University, and serves as deputy assistant attorney general for economic analysis in the Department of Justice’s antitrust division. Earlier academic appointments including a teaching post at the University of California at Berkeley.

FTC commissioners voted 4-0 to approve his appointment.

Wosinska stepped down before the FTC was set to vote on a study into PBM, which are the companies that negotiate rebates from pharmaceutical manufacturers and develop lists of prescription drugs that health insurers will cover.

The FTC possesses unique powers to begin so-called 6(b) studies where it can compel companies to turn over information for research purposes.