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Trump picks crusading surgeon to lead FDA
Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins University has been nominated by President-elect Trump to lead FDA. He has laid out a health care reform agenda in a series of commentaries and books.
3 Min Read
At a Glance
- Surgeon named to head FDA has argued for health care reform.
- His books have examined how the present system is ‘broken.’
- Stakeholders seem cautiously optimistic that the pick could benefit the supplement industry.
The nomination of Dr. Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner is another pick by President-elect Donald Trump that has the natural products industry buzzing.
Makary’s nomination comes on the heels of that of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the department of Health and Human Services, which oversees FDA. In both nominees industry sources see potential officeholders who could shake up the status quo.
Makary is a board-certified surgeon and is currently Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. Several papers listing Makary as a co-author can be found in the PubMed database, including a recent one examining how to curtail the number of opioid pills prescribed for post-surgery patients.
Makary has penned commentaries for the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as appearing on Fox News.
Views on health care reform
Makary has also put forth his views on the medical establishment in several books. In the book “Blind Spots,” published in 2024, Makary argues that hubris and groupthink on the part of medical authorities has led to problems such as the increasing prevalence of peanut allergies, the opioid addiction epidemic and other issues that he believes could have been avoided by incorporating competing viewpoints.
In “The Price We Pay,” published in 2019, Makary tackles the convoluted economic model underpinning the way health care is delivered in the United States. It’s a model that has led to bloated hospital budgets, high costs of care compared to other industrialized nations, rising medical debt for average Americans, and other issues. Both books were bestsellers.
Another of Makary’s books, “Unaccountable,” published in 2012, was billed as “a powerful, no-nonsense, nonpartisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken health care system.”
Now that the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate it’s almost a lock that both nominees will be confirmed.
Mainstream media commentaries have focused on how both RFK Jr. and Makary have little infectious disease expertise.
Industry stakeholders cautiously optimistic
Industry stakeholders appeared heartened that Makary is a practicing physician and published researcher and thus is committed to fostering evidence-based health care. What his views on dietary supplements are and how his tenure might affect the industry are things that could be elucidated in the confirmation process.
“Dr. Makary has strong academic and medical credentials, made extensive contributions to scholarly and professional publications, and has stated his commitment to evidence-based medicine,” said Scott Melville, president and CEO of the Consumer Products Healthcare Association (CHPA). “CHPA specifically hopes this nomination will help further FDA’s mission to protect and promote public health with more evidence-based self-care options for consumers. We look forward to learning more about Dr. Makary’s positions and priorities on OTC drugs, dietary supplements, and OTC medical devices as he proceeds through the confirmation process.”
Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), said Makary might help FDA move toward being a more efficient, accountable organization.
“In particular, we are eager to collaborate on ways to find regulatory efficiencies within the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), ensuring it continues to serve consumers effectively in today’s marketplace. At the same time, we welcome opportunities to engage with the FDA on strengthening oversight and maintaining the highest standards for dietary supplements and functional nutrition products. We are optimistic that under Dr. Makary’s leadership, the FDA will foster innovation while maintaining a commitment to safety, transparency and accountability,” Mister said.
“We’re excited to work with Dr. Makary — we’re hopeful that many of the reforms needed at FDA will come to fruition under his leadership,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA).
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