Last week, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Martin (Marty) Makary as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a bipartisan vote of 56–44. Today he took the oath of office and was officially sworn into office. At the same time, Center for Tobacco Products head Dr. Brian King was placed on administrative leave with some suggesting he has been offered opportunities to work in other departments.
Dr. Makary, a surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins University, has a public health, medical innovation, and healthcare transparency background. As FDA Commissioner, he will oversee the agency’s broad regulatory responsibilities—including its authority over tobacco products through the Center for Tobacco Product
“I am honored and humbled to assume this role at the FDA under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,” said FDA Commissioner Makary. “I look forward to working with this Administration and the FDA workforce to advance our shared goals in meeting the agency’s public health mission. As Commissioner, I hope to ensure that the FDA holds to the gold standard of trusted science, transparency, and common sense so that we can Make America Healthy Again.”
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Makary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in a statement. “He is a national leader in medicine with impeccable credentials. His extensive research, clinical experience, and national leadership make him uniquely qualified to lead the FDA as we work together to Make America Healthy Again.”
Several other CTP staffers were also placed on leave as the Trump administration looks to ease and lower regulations, including some of the activities that the FDA was focused on. For now, it appears the threat of problems from the FDA is much smaller than it was under the Biden and Obama administrations. However, this is not a permanent state of business in these realms.
