Trump says Makary is out as FDA commissioner, following industry and White House backlash

Dr. Marty Makary is out as FDA commissioner, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, ending a controversial tenure at the health agency. Makary is "a wonderful man and he's going to be off, and the assistant, the deputy, is taking over temporarily," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. He added, "He's going to go on, and he's going to lead a good life." Several news outlets reported that Makary resigned on Tuesday, which followed days of reporting that the White House was planning to fire him. Kyle Diamantas, who previously worked as the top food official at the FDA, will step in as acting commissioner, according to reports. Trump on Tuesday did not name Diamantas. Makary, a surgical oncologist known for criticizing the government's handling of the Covid pandemic, served as head of the agency responsible for regulating food, drugs and medical devices for more than a year. His tenure was marked by internal dysfunction and leadership turmoil at the FDA, along with mounting backlash from drugmakers, physicians and patient groups on regulatory decisions, including high-profile rejections of some rare disease treatments. At the same time, the White House reportedly grew increasingly impatient with what it viewed as his slow movement on Trump's key policy initiatives, such as legalizing flavored vapes. The influential Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America organization had also called for Makary's ouster over the FDA's handling of the abortion pill mifepristone. …