Dr. Marty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned on Tuesday, according to an administration official, after weeks of pressure and rumors that President Trump was planning to fire him.
Dr. Makary ultimately resigned over concerns about the administration’s decision to authorize fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, an action he opposed, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The decision capped a tumultuous run at the helm of an agency that regulates medical treatments, vaccines and much of the U.S. food supply. Dr. Makary came to the F.D.A. as a reformer, instituting so many new initiatives that he became known — and sometimes mocked — for his white board on wheels, festooned with Post-it notes lining up announcements that he promoted on frequent television appearances.
But his efforts at times put him at odds with the powerful food, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. In the process, he made a number of enemies in Washington and on Wall Street, including some biotech leaders, abortion foes, tobacco executives and eventually some members of the administration.
He also drew criticism from public health leaders who viewed him as pandering to anti-vaccine activists with the release of an unsupported memo claiming that there were deaths related to Covid vaccines. Criticism flared again when he allowed the renewed use of unproven peptides, or injectable compounds with uncertain effects, a policy favored by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“He has offended almost everyone involved in F.D.A. issues, which is not easy to do,” said Diana Zuckerman, the president of the National Center for Health Research, which weighs in frequently on F.D.A. decisions. “But it would still be a disaster if he is replaced by someone who appeals primarily to tobacco companies, anti-abortion activists” and pharmaceutical lobbyists, she added.
The resignation was first reported by Politico.
Kyle Diamantas, the F.D.A.’s top food regulator, was named the acting commissioner. Mr. Diamantas came to the agency from Jones Day, a law firm where he represented clients in the infant formula industry, including Abbott. He has become a vocal champion for policies to remove chemicals from the food supply and increase transparency around food ingredients.
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