If you’re wondering who is head of the FDA right now, the name you need to know is Dr. Martin "Marty" Makary. He’s the 27th Commissioner of Food and Drugs. He took the reins on April 1, 2025, after a pretty quick confirmation process in the Senate.
It’s a big job. Like, really big. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) basically oversees everything from the ibuprofen in your cabinet to the frozen pizza in your freezer. Honestly, they regulate about 20 cents of every dollar spent by American consumers. That is a massive amount of responsibility for one person to spearhead.
Who Exactly is Martin Makary?
Dr. Makary didn't just stumble into this role. Before he was the guy in charge of the FDA, he was a big deal at Johns Hopkins. We’re talking a surgical oncologist and a professor at both the School of Medicine and the Carey Business School. He’s one of those people who seems to have more hours in the day than the rest of us.
He’s actually famous in the medical world for co-developing the surgical safety checklist. You know, the one the World Health Organization (WHO) pushed out globally to make sure doctors don’t leave sponges in people or operate on the wrong leg. It saved a lot of lives.
He’s also a writer. You might have seen his books like The Price We Pay or Unaccountable on the New York Times bestseller list. He has spent years calling out the "behind the scenes" mess of healthcare costs and lack of transparency. Now, he’s the one sitting in the big chair trying to fix it from the inside.
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The 2026 Focus: What is He Actually Doing?
Since taking over under the second Trump administration, Makary has been moving fast. Usually, the FDA moves at the speed of a glacier. Not lately.
One of the biggest shifts has been the National Priority Voucher (CPRV) pilot program. It sounds technical, but basically, it's a way to try and tie drug approvals to actual pricing and outcomes. He’s also been very vocal about "Make America Healthy Again," a slogan he shares with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Here are a few things on his desk right now in early 2026:
- Artificial Food Dyes: There is a massive push to get petroleum-based dyes out of kids' food by the end of this year.
- Regulatory Flexibility: He’s been cutting red tape for cell and gene therapies, trying to get those "miracle" cures to market faster.
- Wellness Wearables: If you have a WHOOP or an Apple Watch, you’ve probably seen the news. Makary just released guidance that makes it easier for these companies to give you health data without needing a full-blown medical device approval.
The Leadership Team Around Him
Nobody runs the FDA alone. It’s an army of scientists and lawyers. While Makary is the face, he has a core team helping him navigate the politics of D.C.
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Dr. Sara Brenner serves as the Principal Deputy Commissioner. She actually held down the fort as the Acting Commissioner for a few months before Makary was confirmed. Then you have Dr. Vinay Prasad, who is the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer. Prasad is a bit of a firebrand in the medical community, known for his skeptical take on low-quality clinical trials. Having him in a top spot tells you a lot about the agency’s current vibe: they want better evidence, and they want it now.
Why This Matters to You
When people ask who is head of the FDA, they usually aren't just looking for a name for a trivia night. They want to know if their medications are going to get more expensive or if the "organic" label on their milk actually means anything.
Makary’s approach is a bit of a "common sense" overhaul. He’s trying to balance two things that usually hate each other: cutting regulation to speed up innovation while being way more aggressive about what’s actually in our food supply. It's a weird tightrope to walk.
A Quick Look at Recent History
To understand where we are, you kind of have to see where we were. Before Makary, Dr. Robert Califf was the Commissioner. Califf was a traditionalist, a cardiologist from Duke who had done the job twice. He was very focused on "misinformation" and clinical trial standards.
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When the administration changed in 2025, Califf stepped down, and there was a brief gap where the agency felt like it was in limbo. Makary's confirmation by a 56-44 vote in the Senate was actually relatively smooth compared to some other cabinet-level positions.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re keeping an eye on the FDA this year, watch the User Fee Agreements (UFAs). These are the deals where drug companies pay the FDA to review their products. They expire in 2027, but the negotiations are happening right now in 2026. This is where the real power plays happen.
Also, keep an eye on how the agency handles the "Human Foods Program." There's been a lot of talk about splitting the "Food" and "Drug" parts of the FDA even further to make sure food safety doesn't get ignored in favor of the latest blockbuster cancer drug.
Actionable Steps for Staying Informed
Knowing who's in charge is step one. Staying safe is step two.
- Check the Recalls: The FDA’s leadership might change, but the recall list is updated daily. If there’s listeria in your spinach, that’s where you’ll find it.
- Public Comment: The FDA actually has to listen to the public. When they propose a new rule (like banning red dye No. 40), you can go to Regulations.gov and tell them what you think.
- The FDA Voice Blog: If you want to see what Makary is thinking without the filter of the news, read the official "FDA Voice" blog. It's surprisingly readable.
The FDA is a massive machine. Dr. Martin Makary is the one currently steering it, but the direction it goes depends a lot on the scientists in the labs and the pressure from the public. Whether you like his "disruptor" style or wish things were more traditional, he's the guy making the calls for the foreseeable future.
Next Steps: You can visit the official FDA website to view the latest "Constituent Updates" which provide direct transcripts of Dr. Makary's recent public statements on food safety and drug pricing. For more specific inquiries, searching the FDA Public Calendar will show you exactly which industry leaders the Commissioner has met with in the last 30 days.