Trump nominates surgeon and author Martin Makary as FDA chief

US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Martin Makary, a surgeon and author, to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which manages a budget exceeding $7 billion and plays a crucial role as the world’s leading drug regulator.

Makary, currently the chief of islet transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, has been vocal about what he describes as "massive overtreatment" in the US healthcare system, referring to it as "an epidemic of inappropriate care", Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

His recent book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong and What It Means for Our Health, published in September, critiques various medical practices.

In his announcement on November 22, Trump emphasized that Makary is needed "to course-correct and refocus the Agency." The FDA oversees the regulation of human and veterinary drugs, medical devices, and vaccines, ensuring their safety and effectiveness before they enter the extensive U.S. healthcare market. Additionally, the agency sets safety standards for food, tobacco, and cosmetics.

Trump expressed confidence that Makary would "cut the bureaucratic red tape at the Agency to ensure Americans receive the medical cures and treatments they deserve." Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Makary raised concerns on various public health issues, advocating for the recognition of natural immunity and opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for the general population, though he supports vaccination.

If confirmed by the Senate, Makary would report to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and activist known for spreading vaccine misinformation, has pledged to combat chronic diseases, address corruption, and provide Americans with the information necessary to make informed health decisions.

According to RBC analyst Brian Abrahams, Makary is expected to adopt a more critical stance towards the pharmaceutical industry compared to his predecessor. "Dr. Makary could make the agency more suspicious of, rather than collaborative with, drugmakers," Abrahams noted, suggesting that Makary's critiques of medication overuse might foster a more skeptical culture regarding drug approvals.

Makary is known for co-developing the Surgery Checklist, a protocol that enhances surgical outcomes and has been endorsed globally by the World Health Organization. He has also called for a reevaluation of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women, reducing antibiotic overuse, and reforming medical education.

Living in Baltimore, Makary has previously served as an advisor to the conservative healthcare think tank Paragon Health Institute. He will take over from Dr. Robert Califf, who served as FDA commissioner during the Obama administration and, in his second term under President Biden, focused on reforming food operations and combating misinformation.

By Tamilla Hasanova