Trump pressures FDA’s Makary to approve flavored vapes, WSJ reports

May 5 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump rebuked Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Trump sought advice from his advisers about Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young “Make America Great Again” voters in a series of calls and conversations at the White House, the report added, citing the people.

The report added that the advisers described the FDA commissioner as a problem for the administration and told Trump that Makary has blocked the president’s effort to “save” vaping, a pledge Trump made in September 2024 on Truth Social during his presidential campaign.

Thus far, U.S. regulators have avoided granting license to flavored vapes, and the FDA has said in the past that it would continue to require a heavy burden of evidence of benefits ​to smokers for vape flavors ​that also have ⁠strong appeal to youth, such as fruit or candy flavors.

Only 41 vape products are permitted to be sold as of this week, all of which are ​tobacco or menthol flavored.

Makary and Trump discussed the FDA commissioner changing course on flavored vapes, though it wasn’t clear if he had decided to do so, WSJ reported, citing the people.

However, some of the people said Makary was weighing becoming more open to vape flavor approvals, the report added.

(Reporting by Juveria Tabassum in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Emma Rumney in London; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)