UCSF's Vinay Prasad quits FDA under pressure from Trump allies
'Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA in the Trump administration and has decided to return to California and spend more time with his family,' said a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday.
Prasad was appointed in May to lead the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, overseeing vaccines and gene therapies. He was later named the agency's chief medical and scientific officer.
Known for his sharp critiques of federal health policies and drug approvals, Prasad's appointment immediately raised concerns among biotech stakeholders.
His sudden exit followed mounting political pressure, including a sustained campaign led by right-wing commentator Laura Loomer, who accused him of being a ' progressive leftist saboteur.'
Loomer's criticism focused on Prasad's past podcast episodes and social media activity, where he expressed skepticism of President Donald Trump.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum also joined the fray, calling Prasad the man who is destroying the president's 'legacy for helping patients.'
Prasad had previously criticized the FDA's 2023 approval of Sarepta Therapeutics' gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
This month, the FDA briefly suspended shipments of the drug following a patient death, only to partially reverse the decision a day before Prasad's resignation.
Defending his colleague days before the resignation, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary described Prasad as 'one of the greatest scientific minds of our generation.'
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