FDA Taps Vaxxer Skeptic Vinay Prasad To Oversee Vaccine, Gene Therapy Regulations

Photo: Vinayakkprasad.com

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move that has already rattled Wall Street and divided the medical community, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has appointed Dr. Vinay Prasad—an oncologist, outspoken skeptic of pandemic-era public health policies, and critic of pharmaceutical industry practices—as the new head of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the division responsible for regulating vaccines, gene therapies, and the national blood supply.

The appointment, announced May 6 by FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, places Prasad at the helm of one of the agency’s most high-profile and politically sensitive departments. “He brings a great set of skills, energy, and competence to the FDA,” Makary wrote in a message to staff, signaling a dramatic shift from the agency’s COVID-era leadership.

Dr. Prasad, 41, currently serves as a professor of hematology-oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, and practices at San Francisco General Hospital. Born in Ohio to Indian immigrant parents, Prasad studied medicine at the University of Chicago and trained at Northwestern University. He later spent time at the National Cancer Institute and NIH before building a reputation as a maverick voice in medical academia, unafraid to challenge prevailing narratives on everything from oncology drug trials to pandemic policy.

His rise to national prominence came during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he criticized mask mandates, vaccine policies for children, and what he called an erosion of scientific standards.

In one recent post on his Substack blog, Prasad declared that the CDC should “ABSOLUTELY remove COVID-19 from the Childhood Immunization schedule,” calling its inclusion “a sign of a corrupt country.” He has also slammed outgoing CBER director Dr. Peter Marks as “one of the most dangerous, pro-pharma regulators of the 21st century.”

Shares of several biotech firms, including vaccine manufacturers, dipped following the news. “He’s an anti-establishment physician with a loud voice and a big following,” said Brian Abrahams, a biotech analyst with RBC Capital Markets, Reuters reported.

Supporters of Prasad argue that his commitment to scientific rigor and transparency is precisely what the agency needs. “Vinay is willing to ask tough questions about the quality of evidence,” one former colleague said. “That may make some people uncomfortable, but it also might raise the bar for future approvals.”