• Posted July 31, 2025

FDA Vaccine Chief Steps Down After Controversial Tenure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) top vaccine official is stepping down after just three months in a role that upset drug companies, patient groups and some political leaders.

Dr. Vinay Prasad will leave the agency to “spend more time with his family,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement.

But two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was asked to leave after a series of recent controversies. They spoke anonymously to discuss internal matters.

Prasad joined the FDA in May from the University of California, San Francisco. He had gained attention for questioning the agency’s current approach on approving new drugs, including COVID-19 vaccines.

In recent weeks, some conservative activists like Laura Loomer raised concerns about Prasad’s past statements, including praise for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders  (I-Vt.) and criticism of President Donald Trump.

“How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???” Loomer posted on X last week.

Prasad has also faced pushback for pausing shipments of the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, a fatal muscle-wasting disease that mainly affects young boys, The AP reported.

The shipments were briefly stopped after reports of patient deaths. However, they resumed this week following pressure from families who rely on the treatment.

Prasad has long questioned the benefits of this gene therapy and others made by Sarepta Therapeutics.

As an academic, he often criticized the FDA for approving new cancer and genetic treatments too quickly and with limited evidence.

His approach clashed with Trump-era policies that supported faster approvals and more access to experimental treatments. 

During his first term, Trump signed the “Right to Try” law, which allows terminally ill patients to seek treatments that haven't been fully approved by the FDA, The AP said.

His team also recently rejected three applications for new gene therapies from smaller biotech companies. 

These types of treatments have been backed by anti-abortion advocates who see them as possible treatments for serious conditions that may lead parents to end pregnancies.

Dr. George Tidmarsh, a former pharmaceutical executive who joined the FDA this month, will take over Prasad’s role temporarily, according to an internal agency email shared with the AP.

More information

Learn more about the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, July 30, 2025