FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a pilot program to provide bonus payments to agency drug reviewers who complete work ahead of schedule, with the first quarterly payouts expected around August. The program, disclosed in internal slides and a staff presentation obtained by the Associated Press, ties awards to "weighted time savings," work quality, and complexity measures. Makary framed the effort as recognition for efficiency while senior officials emphasized that speed should never come at the expense of quality. The announcement raises ethical and governance questions among observers about incentives in regulatory review and potential impacts on stakeholder confidence. Agency leaders cited staff losses and recruitment challenges as drivers for new retention tools; industry and watchdogs are watching how metrics, team contributions, and safeguards will be operationalized.