FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a pilot program to award bonus payments to drug reviewers who complete reviews ahead of schedule, marking an operational shift in how the agency incentivizes performance. Slides and a staff recording obtained by the Associated Press show bonuses will be tied to “weighted time savings” and team‑level metrics, with quality and complexity factored into award calculations. Agency leaders framed the pilot as a retention and efficiency measure amid staffing losses, while experts flagged potential ethical questions about perceived pressure to accelerate safety assessments.