Makary at his confirmation hearing. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
FDA Commissioner-designate Marty Makary appears on his way to being confirmed after a Senate HELP confirmation hearing at which he faced sharp questions over medication abortion and a canceled flu vaccine meeting.
Why it matters: Makary will be at the center of debates over vaccines and the widely used abortion pill mifepristone. But the Johns Hopkins physician and researcher has a more conventional background than some Trump administration health nominees.
Driving the news: Democrats and Republicans pressed Makary from opposite directions on whether he would revive restrictions on accessing mifepristone, such as requiring in-person dispensing.
- Makary wouldn't give a firm answer, saying he has "no preconceived plans to make changes to the mifepristone policy" and would "do a review of the data" once he is in office.
- He raised the possibility of a "drug-drug interaction" that shows up in the data, for example.
- "I wish you were hedging a little bit less today," said Sen. Maggie Hassan, who urged him not to let political pressure override scientific decisions about the drug.
What they're saying: Another big tension point surrounded the Trump administration cancellation of a meeting of FDA vaccine advisers to discuss the composition of next year's flu vaccine, which Chair Bill Cassidy said moved "backwards" on improving transparency.
- Makary, questioned by Sen. Patty Murray, declined to commit to immediately rescheduling the meeting, instead repeatedly saying he was not involved in the decision to cancel it.
- He said he would reevaluate "which topics would benefit" from an advisory committee meeting.
Between the lines: Makary has at times challenged conventional wisdom on issues like COVID-19 vaccine boosters for children but is generally more mainstream than HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Asked about the Texas measles outbreak, Makary said: "Vaccines save lives, and I do believe that any child who dies of a vaccine-preventable illness is a tragedy in the modern era."
- Sen. Susan Collins said she was "impressed" by her conversation with Makary during the meeting in her office.
- But she did say she was concerned by recent layoffs of probationary employees at FDA. Makary pledged to do "my own independent assessment on personnel" but did not say whether he thinks the layoffs were justified.
