In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Vinay Prasad smiles for a portrait. (U.S. FDA via AP)
Dr Vinay Prasad, the top vaccine official at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will leave the agency again at the end of April, according to an announcement by the FDA commissioner reported by Associated Press (AP).
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told staff in an email late on Friday that Prasad would step down and return to his academic position at the University of California, San Francisco.
Makary said Prasad would leave the agency at the end of April and resume his university work. According to AP, the departure comes after months of disputes over how the agency handled reviews of vaccines, gene therapies and medicines for rare diseases.
Who is Vinay Prasad?
Prasad is a doctor and researcher who became known for his criticism of how the FDA reviews and approves new medicines. Before joining the agency, he worked as a professor and medical researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.
He joined the FDA in May last year to oversee work related to vaccines and several specialised drugs. His role placed him at the centre of decisions on vaccine approvals and other new treatments.
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According to AP, Prasad’s decisions at the FDA have often drawn criticism from pharmaceutical companies and patient groups. Some companies said the agency reversed earlier decisions on certain drugs and requested new studies for products that had already been approved.
Previous exit and return
This is the second time in less than a year that Prasad has left the FDA. In July he was briefly removed from his position after disputes with biotechnology executives, patient organisations and conservative allies of US President Donald Trump.
During his time at the FDA, Prasad supported some measures aimed at speeding up the review of medicines. At the same time, he also introduced additional warnings and study requirements for certain biotechnology drugs and vaccines.
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According to AP, some of these decisions involved vaccines developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been the subject of debate in US politics.
Prasad’s departure comes as the FDA continues to face scrutiny over how it evaluates vaccines and new treatments.
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In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Vinay Prasad smiles for a portrait. (U.S. FDA via AP) 
