Former FDA chiefs call DOGE cuts a historic disaster
Three former Food and Drug Administration officials criticized the Trump administration's mass layoffs at the STAT Summit on Wednesday.
Criticism of recent staffing changes
Rob Califf stated that the initiative led by Elon Musk would be remembered as one of the biggest disasters in American history. Scott Gottlieb and Ned Sharpless agreed with this assessment, noting that the agency has lost significant institutional memory. The former commissioners described the reductions as arbitrary actions that removed experienced drug and medical device reviewers.
Impact on agency operations
Sharpless explained that companies he works with now meet with junior staff instead of seasoned experts during reviews. Califf highlighted that the current leadership changes under Marty Makary have created a gap requiring years to restore. Heidi Overton has been nominated to replace Makary but has not yet faced a Senate confirmation vote.
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