STAT+: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary gets off to a bruising start as agency is wracked by layoffs
Sweeping cuts pose a challenge to Makary, and give him a chance to reshape the FDA.
WASHINGTON — Marty Makary’s first official day as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration began with employees in tears, learning from security guards that they were losing their jobs. The news release announcing the start of his tenure points readers to a press office that, after large-scale layoffs, basically no longer exists. His first email to staff summarized his resume.
“A national leader in medicine with impeccable credentials, Dr. Makary is imminently qualified to lead the FDA at this important time in the health of our nation,” the email, obtained by STAT, reads.
It’s a shaky start for Makary, who will need to earn trust from employees in order to achieve health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s lofty goal of tackling the root causes of chronic disease to make the nation healthier. The vast number of open leadership roles also gives Makary and Kennedy the opportunity to remake the FDA as they see fit.
