FDA cliffhanger: Will Marty Makary stay or go?

"Asked about reports of Makary's imminent firing on Friday, Trump replied, "I've been reading about it, but I know nothing about it." The White House didn't respond to questions about Makary's status. A White House official told Politico that senior Health and Human Services leaders were pushing for the possible firing, not the White House. All of the reports were hedged with the now-standard reminder that Trump often changes his mind."

"Makary is due to testify on the FDA's 2027 budget at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday. What we're watching: If Makary does leave, the expectation is he'll be replaced by a more mainstream figure from inside the FDA. Among the internal candidates mentioned is Kyle Diamantas, the deputy commissioner for food. There's also speculation Trump could bring back a veteran from his first administration to run the agency."

"Names that have been floated include former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn or Brett Giroir, who was briefly acting commissioner. "We expect the White House to nominate a less disruptive, pro-industry commissioner, consistent with other recent steps the administration has taken to moderate the agency," Capstone analyst Will Humphrey wrote late last week in a note. Between the lines: Big drugmakers and smaller biotechs would welcome more predictability from an agency that's charged with evaluating whether treatments are safe and effective."

"One concern is the workforce that conducts those evaluations, which has been weakened by attrition and brain drain. While Makary announced plans this month to hire an additional 3,000 scientists, Raymond James a..."

Reports indicated President Trump authorized firing of Johns Hopkins physician and researcher Marty Makary, but he appeared spared late last week. When asked about imminent firing, Trump said he had been reading about it but knew nothing about it, and the White House did not respond about Makary’s status. A White House official said senior Health and Human Services leaders were pushing for the possible firing rather than the White House. Reports were hedged with reminders that Trump often changes his mind, leaving open the possibility of reversal. Makary is scheduled to testify on the FDA’s 2027 budget at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. If he leaves, expectations include replacement by a more mainstream FDA figure, with internal candidate Kyle Diamantas mentioned and speculation about Stephen Hahn or Brett Giroir. Big drugmakers and biotechs want predictability from the FDA, while workforce capacity has been weakened by attrition and brain drain, despite Makary’s plan to hire 3,000 scientists.

Read at Axios