Vocal FDA critic who became top agency vaccine regulator abruptly departs
He's departing after coming under fire from some Republicans and conservative activists, including far-right activist Laura Loomer.
The FDA division Prasad led had also been grappling with controversial decisions over how to handle deaths of patients who received a drug made by Sarepta Therapeutics to treat the rare genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that Prasad left the job but did not explain why.
'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,' Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesman, said in a statement. 'We thank him for his service and the many important reforms he was able to achieve in his time at FDA.'
Prasad, previously a University of California at San Francisco professor and epidemiologist, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Loomer, who had successfully pushed for the ouster of national security officials in the Trump administration, recently turned on Prasad, describing him on her website as 'The Progressive Leftist Saboteur Undermining President Trump's FDA.' She was referring to his previous support for Democratic politicians.
Before joining the Trump administration, Prasad gained prominence as a critic of the public health response to the coronavirus pandemic, including annual vaccination for children and vaccine mandates.
In May, Prasad replaced Peter Marks, who championed the coronavirus shots, as the head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forced Marks out in late March.
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