FDA official returns to company after Loomer-led ouster

(CNN) — Dr. Vinay Prasad, a controversial critic of the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration who took a high function on the regulatory company in Might, has returned to his job weeks after resigning amid stress from the White Home and right-wing activist Laura Loomer.

“At the FDA’s request, Dr. Vinay Prasad is resuming leadership of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,” mentioned Well being and Human Companies spokesperson Andrew Nixon in a press release to CNN on Saturday.

Nixon didn’t reply to CNN’s inquiry about whether or not Prasad can even return to his function as FDA chief medical and scientific officer.

In late July, Prasad, a hematologist oncologist, mentioned he was resigning as a result of he “did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA” and had “decided to return to California and spend more time with his family.”

Prasad’s departure got here amid recent stress from the White Home for him to resign, in response to an individual acquainted with the matter who was granted anonymity to explain the interior dynamics, and adopted days of criticism from Loomer, who has extraordinary entry to President Donald Trump.

Loomer had taken pictures at Prasad on her web site and on social media, attacking him publicly for days as a “progressive leftist saboteur” who was “undermining President Trump’s FDA.”

Prasad had been a vocal critic of a number of the company’s drug approvals, in addition to the federal government’s response and vaccine insurance policies in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prasad additionally drew criticism from former officers and vaccine consultants after inner memos from Might revealed that he overrode FDA scientists on suggestions for 2 new variations of Covid-19 vaccines. The then-CBER director rebuked suggestions for broad use of the pictures; the FDA finally permitted the vaccines to be used in older and immunocompromised individuals however didn’t advise them for youthful Individuals who don’t have underlying situations.

CNN’s Meg Tirrell, Sarah Owermohle, and Adam Cancryn contributed to this report.

Initially Revealed: August 9, 2025 at 3:13 PM PDT