Marty Makary, the U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner, plans to resign on Tuesday amid mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers, anti-abortion groups and the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting head, according to sources. Reports say President Donald Trump approved a plan to remove Makary after disputes over flavored vapes, a stalled abortion-pill review and public disagreements with drugmakers. Multiple advisers reportedly clashed with him during his turbulent tenure.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to Resign After Weeks of Pressure; Deputy Kyle Diamantas Named Acting Head
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary speaks during a press conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary plans to resign on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the matter, marking the latest leadership change at the federal health agency after weeks of public speculation and mounting political pressure.
Kyle Diamantas, the FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food, will lead the agency in an acting capacity, the sources said. Politico first reported the development. The White House and the FDA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why Makary Is Leaving
Makary's expected departure follows intensifying criticism from influential Republicans, anti-abortion groups and the Wall Street Journal editorial board, and came amid reported clashes with senior officials at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to multiple people familiar with internal dynamics.
Critics have singled out several controversial actions during his tenure: the reintroduction of flavored vaping products into the U.S. market, a stalled review of the abortion pill, and high-profile public disagreements with pharmaceutical companies over reviews of medicines and vaccines. The Wall Street Journal's editorial pages have published at least half a dozen opinion pieces urging his removal, most recently criticizing the agency's rejection of a cancer therapy from Replimune.
Reported White House Role
On Friday, Reuters and other outlets reported that President Donald Trump had signed off on a plan to remove Makary. Several top presidential advisers had grown frustrated with what they described as tumultuous decision-making and persistent negative news cycles around the agency under Makary's leadership.
(Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Gram Slattery, Daphne Psaledakis and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Bill Berkrot)
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