FDA Commissioner Marty Makary presented a new idea to staff this week: bonus payments for employees that complete regulatory review processes faster than expected.
The FDA will offer bonus payments to regulatory review staff who complete their work ahead of schedule, a new pilot program that was announced internally at the agency this week, according to reporting from the AP.
Commissioner Marty Makary revealed the idea during a staff meeting on Thursday, according to slides and a recording that were obtained by the wire service. Makary reportedly told staff that the bonus payments would begin around August.
BioSpace has reached out to the FDA to confirm details of the program.
Makary told staff that getting approval for the program took “some wrangling.” The payments will be offered to reward employees for finding more efficient ways to deliver high-quality work. The payments would be based on “weighted time savings” and “work quality and work complexity,” the AP reported.
The idea comes after a tough year for agency staff that saw mass layoffs and sweeping leadership changes. Morale has reportedly been low among rank-and-file employees as they adapt to the changing of the guard. Many employees have left the agency, including veteran regulators such as Richard Pazdur, who spent 26 years there before abruptly resigning in December 2025.
One key leader, Vinay Prasad, who oversees the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has been accused of fostering a toxic work environment and is now the subject of a probe with an outside investigator.
Some biotech companies have been reporting regulatory delays, while others say they have had smooth engagement with reviewers. Still others have suffered unexpected reversals and drug rejections as the goalposts shift within the agency.
