April 29 (Reuters) -

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet its targets

for completing reviews of new drugs despite mass firings at the

agency under the Trump administration, its chief said.

In an interview posted on a prominent industry blog, FDA

commissioner Martin Makary also said there were no plans for

major reorganization at the agency, unlike those planned by

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at its

other health counterparts.

The FDA has laid off 3,500 employees under Kennedy's massive

restructuring of U.S. health agencies, raising questions over

its impact on drug reviews.

"On the question of productivity, my center leaders have

assured me that the FDA will reach its PDUFA (goal date)

targets," Makary said in an interview posted on the Inside

Medicine Substack.

Reuters reported in early April that mass firings at the

agency have removed employees critical to reviewing new

medicines, including all staff responsible for managing records

such as new product applications.

Makary also said that he could make independent decisions at

the agency.

"No one above me has been or will be making decisions on

products. Secretary Kennedy may have strong recommendations,

which he has a right to, but I make my decisions based on the

two guiding principles of gold standard science and common

sense," Makary added.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil

D'Silva)