The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is launching a bonus scheme for its scientific staff who complete drug reviews ahead of schedule, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing an agency official familiar with the matter.
The program applies to the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), and it is scheduled to take effect as a pilot program on Apr. 1.
As part of the scheme, the incentives will be offered to FDA scientists and their teams who complete various sections of drug reviews ahead of schedule, according to a copy of a presentation about the program.
The regulator will also consider the quality and complexity of their reviews in determining the size of the bonuses, which the FDA official said could be around a few thousand dollars per quarter. The final bonuses are yet to be finalized.
The regulator is expected to announce the plan at an internal meeting on Thursday. The FDA didn’t immediately respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.
The official added that a recruitment drive is underway at the FDA to add more than 1,000 new scientists to accelerate drug reviews. The moves follow several high-profile departures at the FDA in 2025.
Late last year, Richard Pazdur, a well-respected oncologist and 26-year veteran at the agency, filed papers to retire at the end of December, less than a month after being named the director of the CDER.
In April, Peter Marks, who spearheaded Operation Warp Speed during President Donald Trump’s first term, resigned as the head of the CBER, blaming Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for his departure.