President Donald Trump has reportedly approved the dismissal of Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Friday that cited sources with knowledge of the situation.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Health and Human Services, which has oversight of the FDA, responded immediately to requests for comment.
Speculation about Makary’s possible removal has grown over the past week amid criticism related to disputed choices regarding drug approvals, vaccine policies, and the agency’s approach to mifepristone, commonly known as the abortion pill.
A White House insider indicated they were informed the FDA commissioner “is done” and that Trump had given his approval for the dismissal.
This departure would continue a pattern of turnover within federal health organizations, as top officials have already left positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and other agencies. The FDA currently has interim leadership overseeing its primary drug development divisions.
Makary, who serves as a surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, received confirmation as FDA commissioner in March of last year. He has authored popular books addressing healthcare expenses and what he characterized as shortcomings in contemporary medical practice, and has served as a prominent supporter of the Make America Healthy Again initiative championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Wall Street Journal noted that these plans remain preliminary and subject to modification.
