Marty Makary departs FDA after clashes over fruit-flavored vapes with Trump – reports

Marty Makary resigned from his position as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday, concluding a 13-month tenure at the regulatory agency that frequently drew the ire of the White House, Congress, industry and the public, according to US media reports. Kyle Diamantas, who previously worked as the top food official at the agency setting the strategic direction and operations for food policy in the US, has been reported as Makary’s acting replacement, according to Politico , which first reported the resignation and Makary’s replacement. Reuters and NBC News also reported on Makary’s resignation. Donald Trump signed off on a plan to fire Makary earlier this month, after the president scolded the FDA chief for not approving fruit-flavored vapes, according to the Wall Street Journal. “He seems fine,” Trump responded when asked about Makary on Friday. When pressed if he would fire Makary, Trump said: “I’ve been reading about it, but I know nothing about it.” Makary initially overrode agency scientists to halt the approval of the first fruit vapes on the market before the FDA announced the approval would move forward last week. The vapes weren’t the first stand Makary had taken as the FDA chief. He also clashed with lawmakers on Capitol Hill about drug regulation decisions and a review of mifepristone, an abortion medication, that conservative members of Congress accused him of slow-walking. …