5 lessons from Vinay Prasad’s turbulent tenure at the FDA
Vinay Prasad, head of the Food and Drug Administration, self-destructed last week. The FDA announced Friday evening that he would resign next month after a series of controversial decisions on vaccines and gene therapies. His unique ability to attract criticism – even when his bosses, including the president, wanted him to keep his head down – won him over.
Prasad’s defenders will portray his journey as that of a heroic figure who fell because he stood by his principles, and argue that his departure is a victory for Big Pharma because it means the industry will not be held to the high standards he set. This is not the case. He could be impulsive and careless, and do more harm than good to the FDA.
Credit where credit is due: Prasad East It is true that the FDA, in the case of treatments for rare diseases, should require clearer evidence before issuing approvals. The paradox is that when it came to battles over clinical data, he brought out a bazooka when he needed a scalpel.
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