Laura Loomer forces out CBER head Vinay Prasad

Via the New York Times: 

The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine and gene therapy official resigned on Tuesday after a public campaign against him led by the right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, according to people familiar with the matter.

Over the past week, Ms. Loomer had taken to social media to attack the official, Dr. Vinay Prasad, for a series of decisions denying approval of new drugs for rare diseases. She highlighted past statements of support he had made for prominent figures on the political left, including Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont.

Andrew Nixon, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesman, confirmed the resignation Tuesday evening.

“Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the F.D.A. in the Trump administration and has decided to return to California and spend more time with his family,” Mr. Nixon said in a statement. “We thank him for his service and the many important reforms he was able to achieve in his time at F.D.A.”

Looks like Endpoints had it first, for the record. 

I don't have much positive to say about Dr. Prasad, but I agree that Sarepta needed to pull its drug off the market. Of all the moves he made, I feel that one was the least controversial. We'll have to see what ultimately was the cause of this resignation. 

Meanwhile, the political independence of FDA is basically fully gone. I don't think the Trump Administration realizes how they are killing the golden goose that is the American life sciences/pharmaceutical complex, from academia to industry to government. I hope these moves are reversible, but most of them are not, I fear.