Makary’s out at FDA, Sanofi’s priority voucher issues, top exec pay

About this episode

This episode discusses the resignation of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and its implications for the agency and the biopharmaceutical industry.

Moments after recording this episode of The Weekly , FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced his resignation. Reports first circulated last Friday that President Donald Trump had signed off on his ouster. The president initially denied this account , originally from The Wall Street Journal , on Saturday morning, but appears to have now confirmed the plan . This confusion underscores a key theme in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department: lack of transparency and clear communication. Makary’s exit also highlights the high level of senior leadership turnover across the Department of Health and Human Services. With Makary is on his way out, the FDA will reportedly be helmed by an acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas. This would also be fitting for an agency whose two key review divisions—the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)—are currently led by temporary directors. Meanwhile, one of Makary’s key initiatives, the Commissioner’s National Priority Review (CNPV) program, hit a snag last week as Sanofi has reportedly requested that the FDA remove its diabetes prevention drug Tzield from the scheme. This comes after…

People in this episode

Host: BioSpace

Topics covered

• FDA leadership changes
• health department transparency
• drug review processes
• executive compensation
• biopharmaceutical industry

Keywords

• FDA
• Marty Makary
• Sanofi
• Tzield
• executive pay
• health department
• drug review

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FDA, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson

Products: Tzield

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