WASHINGTON – The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today announced the appointment of M. Scott Furness, Ph.D., as its new Senior Vice President of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs.
Dr. Furness joins CHPA after over 25 years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he held several leadership positions. Most recently, he was the Director of the Division of Product Quality Assessment XVIII within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ). In this capacity, he oversaw the scientific review and quality evaluation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) section in regulatory submissions while providing strategic guidance on pharmaceutical quality matters. Dr. Furness succeeds Mike Bailey in this role and officially commenced his duties at CHPA on May 6, 2025. He will be a member of CHPA’s Senior Management Team and will report to President and CEO Scott Melville.
“I am delighted to welcome Scott [Furness] to the CHPA team,” said President and CEO Scott Melville. “Scott’s extensive regulatory experience and deep scientific expertise will be invaluable to CHPA as our industry positions itself to play an increasingly important role in addressing America’s healthcare needs. Scott has a proven track record of leadership in a variety of regulatory roles while at the FDA, and he is a strong believer in CHPA’s mission of happier, healthier lives through responsible self-care.”
“I’m excited to join the CHPA team and contribute to an organization that plays such a vital role in advancing public health through increased access to safe, effective, and quality self-care products,” said Dr. Furness. “Over the course of my career at FDA, I had the opportunity to lead and shape regulatory policies and quality standards that form the foundation of trust in medicines and healthcare products. I look forward to applying that experience to help navigate today’s complex regulatory landscape, support science-driven policy development, and advocate for a modern, efficient framework that promotes innovation and broadens access to the beneficial self-care products consumers rely on daily. It’s an honor to be part of this mission and to work with such a committed team of regulatory professionals.”
Furness joined the FDA in 2000 as a chemistry reviewer and team leader, later becoming Director of the Division of Nonprescription Regulation Development. In that role, he led key efforts to modernize the Over-the-Counter Monograph System, with a focus on biopharmaceutics and product quality, and served as the agency’s lead expert in policy and regulatory development during the modernization process. With a background in regulatory chemistry, manufacturing, and controls, he also held key roles in the Office of Generic Drugs, where he led the development of guidances and policies affecting nationwide drug quality standards.
Furness also served as Deputy Director in multiple OPQ offices, overseeing multidisciplinary teams evaluating Investigational New Drug (IND), Biologic License Application (BLA), New Drug Application (NDA), and Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) submissions. Throughout this tenure, he directed cross-office initiatives, ensured regulatory consistency, and managed operations, including budget, staffing, and training.
His work reflects leadership in drug quality, safety, and regulatory policy. A notable achievement includes his leadership in developing the 2005 impurities guidances for ANDAs, which established impurity standards for generic drugs in alignment with the principles of the International Conference for Harmonisation. He also partnered with CHPA member companies to support United States Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph development and modernization for active pharmaceutical ingredients of OTC drugs, strengthening quality and consistency across the nonprescription industry.
Furness holds a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of Georgia and graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Virginia Tech. He has been a panelist in more than 80 lectures and briefings, including multiple congressional briefings on various OTC monograph-related topics. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals and received numerous professional honors. Furness resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife and son.
