Brian King has been dethroned. King, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), has been placed on administrative leave. What this means for the nicotine industry is still unknown. However, several industry insiders have told Nicotine Insider that the news comes as a welcome change.
King has been offered reassignment to the Indian Health Service, as confirmed by sources familiar with the matter. In an email to staff, King expressed, “It is with a heavy heart and profound disappointment that I share I have been placed on administrative leave.”
Sources have also confirmed that Todd Cecil, deputy director of Regulatory Management, and Matt Farrelly, director of Office of Science, have been reassigned. King’s removal aligns with broader staff reductions at the FDA, including the dismissal of the entire office responsible for enforcing tobacco regulations.
Robert Califf, the former head of the FDA who was recently replaced by Marty Makary, wrote in a Linked In post this morning that, “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished … I believe that history will see this a huge mistake. I will be glad if I’m proven wrong, but even then there is no good reason to treat people this way. It will be interesting to hear from the new leadership how they plan to put ‘Humpty Dumpty’ back together again.”
King, who assumed the role in July 2022, played a pivotal part in implementing stringent regulations on flavored e-cigarettes, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths from combustible cigarettes. King has long faced criticism from vaping industry lobbyists.
While anti-smoking groups push for stronger actions against unauthorized vaping products targeting teens, tobacco and vaping companies argue that the FDA is too slow in approving safer alternatives for adult smokers.
Under King, the FDA rejected millions of vaping product marketing applications, citing insufficient data on their safety. These rejections have resulted in several lawsuits, including one argued before the Supreme Court in December and a decision in that case is expected this Summer.
This development follows the recent resignation of Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccine official. Marks cited conflicts with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stating that Kennedy prioritized “misinformation and lies” over scientific integrity.
Kennedy, a known user of nicotine pouches, has said that more than 3,500 more employees will be leaving the FDA. Marks’ and King’s departures have raised concerns within the scientific community about the direction of health policies under the current administration.
The FDA’s leadership upheaval occurs amidst mass layoffs at the HHS, with up to 10,000 jobs potentially affected. These actions are part of a significant overhaul initiated by President Donald Trump, who recently revoked collective bargaining rights from HHS and other government employees.
Additionally, President Trump is preparing to announce new tariffs on April 2, dubbed “Liberation Day,” aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on foreign goods.
Anti-nicotine groups are raising questions about the future direction of the FDA and its capacity to effectively regulate the nicotine industry. The nicotine industry, however, welcomed the news.
