Marty Makary is the 27th Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since his appointment to this role he and his team have started to pivot FDA’s direction towards faster regulatory pathways, transparent decisions and accessible and affordable care. A few of the multiple regulatory shifts have made FDA rejection letters public, removed key limitations on the use of real-world evidence in regulatory reviews, released guidance to advance generic drug development, deployed agentic artificial intelligence, introduced the New “Plausible Mechanism Pathway” which marks a major turning point for individualized therapies. FDA has announced that there are plans to shift towards single-study requirements for drug and medical product approvals and cleared a quicker pathway for biosimilars to cut prices.
He previously served as a surgical oncologist and endowed professor of gastrointestinal surgery and Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, where he founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research. He co-developed the Surgical Safety Checklist now used in operating rooms worldwide. Dr. Makary has held leadership roles within the World Health Organization Patient Safety Program. A pioneer in surgical innovation, Dr. Makary led the first series of laparoscopic pancreatic islet transplants and received the Nobility in Science Award from the National Pancreas Foundation, and in 2018, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 recognizes the changemakers in cancer care who have helped shape current practice in oncology and continue to drive innovation and research towards better outcomes, advocacy, philanthropy, leadership and education. For the many deserving individuals not mentioned in this list, we will continue to acknowledge, honor and elevate your voices in our daily publications from across the world.
See the full list of The 100 Influential People in Oncology in 2025 and stay tuned for the results of special category nominations to be announced.
