FDA shakeup continues with departure of top drug regulator, just days after agency chief resigns

Health newsFDA leadership shakeup continues with departure of top drug regulator Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg is leaving her role as head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, just days after FDA chief Dr. Marty Makary resigned.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00The FDA in Silver Spring, Md.Maansi Srivastava / The Washington Post via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 15, 2026, 6:47 PM EDTBy Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Aria BendixDr. Tracy Beth Høeg is leaving her role as head of the FDA division that regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, according to a Department of Health and Human Services official.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Høeg, a sports medicine doctor who criticized Covid shots for children during the pandemic, served as acting director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for about five months. She was the fifth person to hold the post under the second Trump administration and the right hand to former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who resigned Tuesday after opposing the Trump administration’s moves to expand access to flavored e-cigarettes. Høeg was previously a special assistant to Makary.Michael Davis, the deputy center director at CDER, will take over as acting director. Makary’s role is temporarily being occupied by Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s top food regulator.The Health and Human Services Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Emily Hilliard, an HHS spokesperson, said in a statement earlier on Friday that the administration is “actively searching for strong candidates for key leadership positions across HHS, including the FDA, with a focus on experienced individuals who can strengthen agency operations, continue to advance significant reforms, and maintain public trust.”“In the meantime, the FDA and HHS continue to operate under solid leadership and respond aggressivel...