By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) top vaccine official is stepping down after just three months in a role that upset drug companies, patient groups and some political leaders.<\/p>\n
Dr. Vinay Prasad<\/a> will leave the agency to \u201cspend more time with his family,\u201d a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement.<\/p>\n But two people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press<\/em> that Prasad was asked to leave after a series of recent controversies. They spoke anonymously to discuss internal matters.<\/p>\n Prasad joined the FDA in May from the University of California, San Francisco. He had gained attention for questioning the agency\u2019s current approach on approving new drugs, including COVID-19<\/a> vaccines.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, some conservative activists like Laura Loomer raised concerns about Prasad\u2019s past statements, including praise for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a> (I-Vt.) and criticism of President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???\u201d Loomer posted on X last week.<\/p>\n Prasad has also faced pushback for pausing shipments of the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy<\/a>, a fatal muscle-wasting disease that mainly affects young boys, the AP <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n The shipments were briefly stopped after reports of patient deaths. However, they resumed this week following pressure from families who rely on the treatment.<\/p>\n Prasad has long questioned the benefits of this gene therapy and others made by Sarepta Therapeutics<\/a>.<\/p>\n As an academic, he often criticized the FDA for approving new cancer and genetic treatments too quickly and with limited evidence.<\/p>\n His approach clashed with Trump-era policies that supported faster approvals and more access to experimental treatments.<\/p>\n During his first term, Trump signed the \u201cRight to Try\u201d law, which allows terminally ill patients to seek treatments that haven’t been fully approved by the FDA, the AP <\/em>said.<\/p>\n His team also recently rejected three applications for new gene therapies from smaller biotech companies.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Dr. George Tidmarsh<\/a>, a former pharmaceutical executive who joined the FDA this month, will take over Prasad\u2019s role temporarily, according to an internal agency email shared with the AP<\/em>.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n Learn more about the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n