The FDA, under President Trump, is stepping up its scrutiny of the crazy flood of drug ads that saturate everyday life, says Commissioner Marty Makary on the latest “Pod Force One.” He says the ads are getting out of control, messing up the trust between doctors and patients. “We’re all on the same side to make sure people don’t get fooled by pharma,” he told host Miranda Devine.
Makary noted that the FDA has long been lax in enforcing rules on drug commercials. “We require a fair balance of information,” he said. “They can’t paint a misleading picture.” He criticized the usual “singing and dancing” style and other gimmicks that confuse consumers. “You watch these nonstop, and you’re like, ‘Okay, I’ll take it. I don’t know what it is. I think I heard sudden death and then a complication,’” he explained.
In our digital era, drug companies rely heavily on online ads and paid influencers, often ignoring federal rules. A September audit found that every pharma post on social media highlighted benefits but only a third mentioned risks. Astonishingly, 88 % of top‑selling drug ads come from people or groups that slip past the FDA’s fair‑balance guidelines, which demand disclosure of negative side effects.
Makary accused the Biden administration of doing little against drug firms. “The FDA used to issue over 100 enforcement letters a year. In the Biden administration, we sent only one in 2023…and none last year,” he said.
Now, under his direction, enforcement has surged. “A few weeks ago, I sent out 1,500 warning letters and over 100 cease‑and‑desist notices to these companies, and we’re not slowing down,” Makary shared. He pointed out that pharma spends 20‑25 % of its budget on marketing. “That money should go toward lowering drug prices for everyday Americans.”
Beyond advertising, Makary advocates ending animal testing. He believes there are better ways to assess drug safety than subjecting dogs to potentially deadly trials. “Computational modeling is superior to animal testing,” he said. “Organ‑on‑a‑chip tests, where drugs are applied to human tissue cells in the lab, show great promise.” He added that some drugs are delayed by animal studies even when they pose no human toxicity, potentially costing us cures. “We need to phase out animal testing the right way, and safely,” he concluded.
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