Overview
- President Trump, who confirmed Tuesday that Marty Makary is leaving the FDA, said deputy food chief Kyle Diamantas will take over in an acting role.
- A dispute over fruit‑flavored e‑cigarettes became a breaking point after Makary resisted authorizations, Trump pressed him to approve them, and the FDA cleared certain flavored products last week.
- Anti‑abortion groups escalated pressure over the abortion pill mifepristone, faulting Makary for not reversing mail‑order access and for a delayed safety review that Bloomberg reported he asked to push past the midterms.
- Makary’s 13‑month tenure drew complaints about chaos and turnover, vaccine and drug decisions that companies called unpredictable, and reforms like a priority‑voucher program that STAT reported involved White House review of awards.
- The White House and HHS are weighing a permanent nominee who will need Senate confirmation, a choice that could shape rules for drug approvals, abortion‑pill access, and tobacco products as other top health posts remain unfilled.