Big Pharma Fingerprints Behind Ouster Of MAHA-Aligned FDA Official
Dr. Vinay Prasad scrutinized a potentially dangerous drug. Then came the public attacks. Behind the scenes, pharma hired lobbyists and paid think tanks.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine and biologics official, who gained a national following during the pandemic over his criticism of mask and vaccine mandates, was forced into retirement this week.
His departure comes just days after a sudden flurry of attacks from conservative media figures over his safety review scrutiny of Elevidys, a $3.2 million prescription gene therapy linked to the death of several patients.
The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley and The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest’s Bob Goldberg went after Prasad for moving to take the drug off the market on July 18th. In oddly identical language following the FDA decision, both Finley and Goldberg accused Prasad of serving as a “one-man death panel” threatening to revoke access to medicine.
Then came barbs from right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who published old social media posts from Prasad claiming he stabs a "voodoo doll" representing President Donald Trump. The quote, however, was taken out of context. Prasad was mocking those who scapegoat Trump.
The public messaging quickly reached the White House, with lawmakers phoning the president to remove Prasad. Trump reportedly overruled objections by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and decided Prasad had to step down. As Prasad stepped down, the FDA reversed its temporary hold on Elevidys.
The news instantly lifted the stock price of Sarepta Therapeutics, the drug company that produces Elevidys, which is used to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a severe genetic disorder that overwhelmingly impacts young males. Nearly half of the company revenue is derived from this one drug.
Behind the scenes, Sarepta Therapeutics was gearing up for a fight. Following the death of two teenagers over side effects linked to Elevidys, the company began hiring lobbyists with close ties to the Trump administration.
Disclosures show that on June 10th, the company contracted Michael Best Strategies, LLC. The law-lobbying firm employs prominent Republicans, including former Sen. Cory Gardner and former Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus. The most notable influence peddler at the firm is former Trump 2024 campaign co-director Chris LaCivita, who joined the company right after the inauguration.
The Michael Best Strategies' lobbying disclosure reports remain vague but it hint at its role. The company stated that it worked on "Rare disease therapeutic development and access" with the Executive Office of the President, Congress, and HHS.
The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, the group that employs Goldberg, the writer to kick-off the public assault on Prasad, is also funded by makers of Elevidys. In a donor report listing support from Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Merck & Co., and Gilead Sciences, CMPI discloses that it relies on the "generosity of our donors," which includes the Massachusetts-based Sarepta Therapeutics.