Prasad departing FDA in April, replacement TBD

Vinay Prasad, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Research and Evaluation, will depart FDA for the second time in April, ending a tenure of less than one year. Commissioner Marty Makary posted on X that a successor will be appointed before Prasad’s departure. 

Pressure on FDA had been building after a series of high-profile decisions, including the agency’s reversal on a combination flu/COVID mRNA vaccine from Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) and broader criticism that CBER had become less predictable under Prasad’s leadership. That pressure became more visible this week when Pfizer Inc. Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla publicly criticized Prasad, saying, “We have a problem with the leadership of CBER” and arguing that the current director was not following the recommendations of agency staff. ...