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Dr Vinay Prasad, who recently resigned from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has returned to his post with the agency.
“At the FDA’s request, Dr. Vinay Prasad is resuming leadership of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FDA’s parent agency, told news outlets in a statement.
Prasad was named the FDA’s top vaccine official in May.
During his short time with the FDA, Prasad, who is a strong ally of Commissioner Marty Makary, made a number of decisive changes, including unveiling a new policy on COVID-19 vaccines.
The new policy allows COVID-vaccine makers to continue providing their vaccines to the elderly, but requires them to provide new clinical data to be able to provide them for tens of millions of adult Americans.
Prasad also personally intervened, overruling FDA staffers, to ensure COVID-19 vaccines only received ongoing approval for the elderly and those at severe risk from contracting the virus.
However, Prasad was subject to criticism, including from activist Laura Loomer, over his approach to certain drugs and his apparent support for Democrats in the past.
Social-media posts from 2020 and 2022 were used to suggest Prasad was a supporter of Joe Biden and also in favour of abortion.
Wen he resigned in July, he said he did not want his presence at the FDA to be a “distraction.”
“Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA in the Trump administration and has decided to return to California and spend more time with his family,” a statement said.
