Top FDA Official Appointed By Trump Admin Departs After Three Months
Newsweek1 day
FDA's Top Vaccine Official Resigns After 3 Months
Above: The Food and Drug Administration headquarters in White Oak, Maryland. Image copyright: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Prasad had to go because any official who prioritizes political ideology over patient access must be held accountable. His decision to halt a life-saving gene therapy for dying children showed callous disregard for families desperate for treatments. This regulatory overreach worked toward destroying President Trump's pro-patient agenda and Right to Try principles.
Left narrative
Prasad's resignation exposes dangerous political interference in scientific decision-making at the FDA. Although he aligns with right-wing skepticism of vaccines, Prasad was still forced out after making evidence-based safety decisions about a treatment linked to patient deaths. Industry lobbying and activist pressure seem to be overriding legitimate regulatory concerns about drug safety.