FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a pilot program to pay bonuses to drug reviewers who complete reviews ahead of schedule, with the first quarterly payments expected in August. The plan ties payouts to 'weighted time savings' and team performance metrics, while officials insist speed will not come at the expense of quality. The Associated Press obtained internal slides and a recording of Makary’s staff presentation. The pilot responds to staffing pressures and retention challenges at the agency and could reshape incentives inside the regulatory review process. Critics warn the scheme may create perceived conflicts if reviewers are financially rewarded for faster decisions; senior officials say distribution rules and quality metrics aim to mitigate that risk. The program will initially exclude non-review functions such as inspections.