By Yasmeen Abutaleb
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary plans to resign on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the situation, the latest leadership change at the federal health department which comes after weeks of public speculation and a mounting pressure campaign.
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas 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 comments.
Makary's planned departure follows weeks of intensifying pressure from powerful Republicans, anti-abortion groups, and the Wall Street Journal editorial board, all while he clashed with top officials at the White House and Department of Health and Human Services, according to five people familiar with internal dynamics.
On Friday, Reuters and other outlets reported that President Donald Trump had signed off on a plan to fire him.
Makary was criticized for actions including his handling of reintroducing flavored vapes into the U.S. market, a stalled abortion-pill review and public disagreements with drugmakers over reviews of lifesaving medicines and vaccines.
The Journal's editorial page has featured at least half a dozen op-eds blasting Makary for controversial drug rejections, including most recently of a cancer drug from Replimune, and calling for his ouster.
A growing number of top Trump advisers have grown frustrated with Makary's tumultuous tenure at the agency, the public criticism and negative news cycles about its decision-making under Makary's leadership, and several advisers have clashed with him personally, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
(Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Gram Slattery, Daphne Psaledakis and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Bill Berkrot)
