Marty Makary departs FDA after clashes over fruit-flavored vapes with Trump – reports

Marty Makary resigned from his position as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday, concluding a 13-month tenure at the regulatory agency that frequently drew the ire of the White House, Congress, industry and the public, according to US media reports.

Kyle Diamantas, who previously worked as the top food official at the agency setting the strategic direction and operations for food policy in the US, has been reported as Makary’s acting replacement, per Politico, who first reported the resignation and Makary’s replacement. Reuters and NBC News also reported on Makary’s resignation.

Donald Trump signed off on a plan to fire Makary earlier this month, after the president scolded the FDA chief for not approving fruit-flavored vapes, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“He seems fine,” Trump responded when asked about Makary on Friday. When pressed if he would fire Makary, Trump said, “I’ve been reading about it, but I know nothing about it.”

Makary initially overrode agency scientists to halt the approval of the first fruit vapes on the market before the FDA announced the approval would move forward last week.

The vapes weren’t the first stand Makary had taken as the FDA chief. Makary also clashed with lawmakers on Capitol Hill about drug regulation decisions and a review of mifepristone, an abortion medication, that conservative members of Congress accused him of slow-walking. There is abundant scientific evidence on the safety and importance of mifepristone.

The FDA also reportedly stopped the publication of research on the safety of vaccines against shingles and Covid, demonstrating a “pattern” of “not letting information out that might support the general safety of vaccines”, said Janet Woodcock, former acting FDA commissioner. Other controversial decisions on vaccines included a refusal to consider Moderna’s new flu vaccine, a decision that was soon reversed after public backlash.