Today we talk about an advance in an experimental mRNA vaccine for HIV, dive deep on Vinay Prasad’s sudden FDA departure, and more.
The need-to-know this morning
Inside the undoing of Vinay Prasad at the FDA
Vinay Prasad’s short-lived but polarizing run as head of the FDA’s biologics division ended just 84 days in, after his aggressive push to tighten oversight on gene therapies and Covid-19 vaccines drew heat from all sides — Trump allies, RFK Jr. loyalists, Democrats, and Duchenne patient advocates.
His decision-making on Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy— which he viewed as backed by staff and rooted in safety concerns — fueled political pressure that only mounted after far-right influencer Laura Loomer launched a campaign highlighting his progressive leanings and past anti-Trump comments. A powerful and extremely online regulator ran out of friends when it mattered most.
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