Johns Hopkins surgical oncologist and widely published researcher Martin Makary will be nominated as the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to news reports and a statement from President-elect Donald Trump.
Image caption: Martin Makary
The appointment, once confirmed by the U.S. Senate, would position Makary atop the federal agency charged with ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply and cosmetics; and regulating the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products to protect the public health. The FDA, which oversees approximately one-fifth of the U.S. economy, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"Dr. Makary's extensive work as a surgeon and public policy researcher demonstrates his professional commitment and leadership in the medical field," Johns Hopkins Medicine said in a statement. "We congratulate him on his nomination and the opportunity to work with the exceptional team at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the agency's next commissioner."
Makary has been a prominent voice on U.S. health care practices, advocating for efforts to lower the cost of treatment and reduce unnecessary procedures and medical errors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he questioned elements of the nation's response—he was an early advocate for universal masking and vaccines, but later spoke out against vaccine mandates as well as prolonged school closures, masks for toddlers, and CDC guidelines for reopening schools.
In a May 2022 study published by BMJ Open, Makary made the case that the NIH was too slow to fund COVID clinical studies during the pandemic. He has also argued that the FDA was too bureaucratic in its response.
"COVID has given us a clear-eyed look at a broken Food and Drug Administration that's mired in politics and red tape," he wrote in an October 2021 opinion piece published by Fox News. "Americans can now see why medical advances often move at turtle speed. We need fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it."
Makary specializes in surgical oncology and is Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and also holds an appointment at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. He directs the Evidence-based Medicine and Public Policy Research Group and has published more than 300 scientific articles. His current research focuses on the underlying causes of disease, vulnerable populations, and the appropriateness of care. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and previously served in a leadership role at the World Health Organization's patient safety program.
He is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, including Unaccountable (2013) and The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care—and How to Fix It (2019); the latter received the 2020 Business Book of the Year Award from the Association of Business Journalists. His newest book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets it Wrong and What it Means for our Health, was released in September and was recently named one of the Best Books of the Year by Amazon.
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