FDA chief resigns after Trump admin forced approval of fruity e-cigs

Source: Ars Technica

Background

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump called Dr. Robert Makary over a weekend to scold him for not moving fast enough to authorize flavored vapes—particularly menthol, mango, and blueberry flavors—from the Los Angeles manufacturer Glas. The FDA authorized those flavored products days later and issued a new policy that would make it easier to market flavored vapes.

Trump’s involvement in flavored e‑cigs

• The President’s direct call to Makary highlighted the administration’s pressure to accelerate approvals for flavored e‑cigarettes.
• Within days of the call, the FDA granted authorization for the contested flavors and announced the policy change aimed at loosening marketing restrictions for flavored vaping products.

Other controversies involving Dr. Makary

• Abortion‑related drug review: Officials in the Trump administration noted that Makary had angered anti‑abortion activists, who accused him of slow‑walking a safety review of mifepristone, a pill used for abortion and miscarriage treatment.
• Industry tensions: Makary was reported to have clashed with lobbyists representing the biotech, tobacco, and pharmaceutical sectors, and was described as struggling to manage his agency.
• Vaccine review changes: Public‑health experts criticized Makary for alterations to the FDA’s vaccine review processes under his watch, suggesting alignment with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s anti‑vaccine stance.

“He has offended almost everyone involved in FDA issues, which is not easy to do,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, to The Times.

Resignation

According to Politico, which first reported Makary’s resignation, it was Kennedy—not President Trump—who made the call to plan Makary’s dismissal, although Trump ultimately had to agree. The report can be found here.