Indian-American doctor and anti-vaxxer picked to lead FDA’s vaccines division

Indian-origin hematologist-oncologist Vinay Prasad was named the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), the vaccines division of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Prasad had previously criticised the FDA and was a fierce critic of the Covid-19 vaccine and mask mandates, news agency Reuters reported.

Following the appointment of Vinay Prasad, shares of vaccine-makers like Moderna and Pfizer dipped by 3% to 20%.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary made the announcement in an email to staff on Tuesday.

CBER, a division under the FDA, oversees vaccines and biologic medicines.

In the email, Makary wrote that Prasad has a “long and distinguished history in medicine” and highlighted his extensive oncology research.

Prasad is set to succeed Peter Marks, who led the division for 13 years and shaped the Operation Warp Speed (OWS) effort to develop Covid-19 vaccines. The OWS, is a public-private partnership initiated by the US government during the pandemic to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Prasad joins the FDA from the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as an epidemiology professor.

He holds a medical degree from the University of Chicago and has prior experience at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.

PETER MARKS SLAMS FDA OVER PRASAD’S APPOINTMENT

Marks resigned from his post in March this year, citing US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s stance on vaccine safety.

“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” CNN quoted Marks as saying.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Prasad emerged as a vocal critic of the government’s response and vaccine policies.

Prasad vociferously condemned the Warp Speed effort and Marks’ leadership on his blog and on the social media platform X, where he was often praised by now-FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary for criticizing school shutdowns, mask policies, and the COVID-19 booster shot, CNN reported.

Prasad’s appointment as head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research coincides with the FDA’s announcement of new requirements for future vaccines, mandating placebo studies.

SHARES OF VACCINE-MAKERS PFIZER, GENE, OTHERS HIT

Shares of vaccine maker Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) dropped approximately 10% following the announcement of Prasad’s appointment as CBER Director, while Pfizer saw a 3% decline, according to Reuters.

Smaller gene therapy companies like Sarepta Therapeutics and Taysha Gene Therapies experienced steeper losses, plunging around 20%.