Georgia Life Sciences Statement on FDA Commissioner Makary’s Resignation
Atlanta, Georgia, May 13, 2026 - Georgia Life Sciences thanks Dr. Marty Makary for his service as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a period of significant change across the nation’s health and regulatory agencies.
The FDA plays a central role in advancing public health, patient access, and American life sciences innovation. For Georgia’s growing ecosystem of biopharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, diagnostics developers, academic research institutions, clinical trial partners, and advanced manufacturing leaders, a strong, stable, science-driven FDA is essential.
Regulatory predictability matters. Companies and investors make long-term decisions based on clear, consistent, and timely regulatory pathways. Patients and clinicians depend on the FDA to ensure that safe and effective medicines, devices, diagnostics, and technologies can reach the people who need them.
During this interim period, Georgia Life Sciences urges FDA leadership to maintain continuity across review divisions and ensure that agency decisions remain grounded in scientific expertise, clear standards, and transparent communication with sponsors, patients, and the public. Interim leadership can play an important stabilizing role, but the administration should move expeditiously to nominate a permanent commissioner with deep regulatory, scientific, and public health experience.
At a time when global competition in biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and clinical research is intensifying, the United States needs an FDA that is a reliable partner in protecting public health while enabling responsible innovation. Georgia Life Sciences looks forward to working with our national partners, including BIO, AdvaMed, PhRMA, and others, to monitor this transition and advocate for policies that support patients, innovation, and continued U.S. leadership.
“Georgia’s life sciences community depends on a regulatory environment that is science-based, predictable, and globally competitive,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “During this interim period, FDA leadership must prioritize continuity, scientific integrity, and timely communication while the administration identifies a permanent commissioner. Our priority remains clear: patients must have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of products, and innovators must have confidence that the regulatory pathway is clear, consistent, and timely.”
About Georgia Life Sciences
Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) is the state’s leading industry organization representing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and digital health companies, along with research institutions and other ecosystem partners. GLS works to advance Georgia’s life sciences sector by supporting innovation, advocating for policies that enable growth, and developing the workforce needed to power the industry’s future.
Media Contact: SBowlin@galifesciences.org
