HIRING ALERT: STAT is looking for a reporter to cover declining trust in science. This reporter will examine the forces eroding the authority of scientific institutions and mainstream medicine. Apply here: www.statnews.com/careers/stat...

NEW: People really seem the FDA's new acting commissioner. I talked to 10 people who know Kyle Diamantas to get a sense of what he's like, as it's likely he'll be in the role for a while as the agency searches for a permanent replacement. Read more here: www.statnews.com/2026/05/26/k...

Katherine Szarama, acting director of the biologics and vaccines center, is out as well. Karim Mikhail will replace her. Lowell Zeta will replace Jim Traficant as chief of staff. All according to an email sent to staff and obtained by STAT. Story will be updated imminently:

NEW: Acting director of the drug center, Tracy Beth Høeg, is leaving the FDA, just days after Commissioner Marty Makary resigned from the agency www.statnews.com/2026/05/15/f...

NEW: What the Trump administration wants in its next FDA chief, w/ @danielpayne.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/05/13/m...

Fantastic profile on Sen. Bill Cassidy today from @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social and @danielpayne.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2026/05/13/b...

Marty Makary is, needless to say, only the latest senior FDA official to leave the agency. @lizzylawrence.bsky.social and @jaspar.bsky.social have been keeping tabs. www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/f...

BREAKING: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is resigning today. Top food regulator Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting. www.statnews.com/2026/05/12/f...

The first 3 stories in a series spearheaded by @isabellacueto.bsky.social and @levfacher.bsky.social are out! Alcohol is wreaking havoc on public health, but American society looks the other way. Check out the stories here, and look out for the next installments: www.statnews.com/alcohol-epid...

Trump reportedly plans to fire FDA Commissioner Makary. Several FDA sources told me Makary missed a planned appearance at the FDA's annual 5K race on the White Oak campus today. www.statnews.com/2026/05/08/f...

Watch to see Lizzy do an incredible 1-take off-the-cuff intro from the front seat of a rental Hyundai Elantra (that my head barely fit into) and stay for the compelling stories these former FDA officials shared with us. (Seriously though I had to open the slider of the sunroof)

Check out @alexhogan.bsky.social's incredible video of the six former FDA employees we profiled, to capture the expertise that's been lost after layoffs, voluntary and involuntary departures: statnews.com/2026/05/08/f...

NEW: The FDA has started to rehire after losing thousands of employees last year. But it will be difficult to replace what was lost. Read our profile of six of the folks who left, featuring video portraits filmed by @alexhogan.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2026/05/07/f...

SCOOP: Sanofi has asked the FDA to pull its type 1 diabetes drug, Tzield, out of the Commissioner's drug review voucher program. The move comes after acting CDER director Tracy Beth Høeg disagreed with a staff decision to approve the drug. www.statnews.com/2026/05/06/s...

Why the FDA authorized flavored vapes, and why public health experts are split about the decision, which came after reported White House pressure. W/ @sarah-todd.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2026/05/06/f...

Just wanted to recirculate my story from November on this episode (TY to the NYT for the hat tip!): www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...

NEW: FDA launches effort to speed up clinical trials, using AI. The agency will review trial data in real time from AstraZeneca and Amgen: www.statnews.com/2026/04/28/f...

Brittany Goldberg, another FDA senior leader, just left the drug center, according to an email viewed by STAT. She previously worked as Vinay Prasad's deputy at the biologics center. She spent around 13 years at the agency. www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/f...

I recently visited Indigo in Savannah to see how he and others at Georgia's only LGBTQ+ center are pushing to expand affirming care, even as it contracts elsewhere. www.statnews.com/2026/04/20/t...

NEW: The FDA will convene an advisory panel to discuss whether to allow broader access to peptides, a class of products that RFK Jr is a fan of: www.statnews.com/2026/04/15/p...

W/ John Wilkerson: FDA backs proposals to entice pharma companies to test, make drugs domestically www.statnews.com/2026/04/07/f...

NEW: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary marked one year at FDA with a focus on achievements in a speech to staff. He thanked career staff by name, and acknowledged the difficult of the April layoffs. But he said little on the agency’s more recent turmoil. www.statnews.com/2026/04/01/f...

A writeup of my conversation with former FDA commissioner Rob Califf, written up by the excellent @danielpayne.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/p...

NEW: FDA’s top infectious disease regulator to depart agency www.statnews.com/2026/03/18/f...

Today, HHS announced several initiatives to try and reduce reliance on animal testing in drug development, including new FDA guidance and new NIH grants: www.statnews.com/2026/03/18/f...

Very excited to interview former FDA commissioner @robcaliff.bsky.social about the recent turmoil at FDA, from leadership upheaval to politicization of science, at STAT's Breakthrough Summit East in NYC on Thursday. You can register for tickets here: www.statnews.com/stat-summit-...

Die Hard is a Christmas movie and The Fugitive is a St. Patrick's Day movie, and in ☘️ spirit I have a fun video this week. I asked some intrepid @statnews.com reporters how they would cover the pharma subplot of the classic 1993 thriller. youtu.be/zg0hIGl8Yt4

I had a lot of fun filming this video with @alexhogan.bsky.social about how STAT would have covered the pharma-related events of "The Fugitive" if they were real. I think Dr. Kimble would have cleared his name a lot earlier if STAT reporters were on the case... www.statnews.com/2026/03/13/f...

Two terrific #FDA related pieces by @lizzylawrence.bsky.social & @matthewherper.bsky.social. Matt's is a look at lessons to be drawn from Vinay Prasad's chaotic tenure; Lizzy's delves into the FDA's turning away from adcomms. www.statnews.com/2026/03/08/v... & www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/f...

Despite recent controversial decisions, the FDA has stopped holding advisory committee meetings — which bring together regulators, companies, patients, and a panel of independent advisors to publicly discuss complex regulatory matters. I dug into why: www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/f...

BREAKING: Vinay Prasad is leaving the FDA for the second time. First reported by the WSJ www.statnews.com/2026/03/06/f...

NEW from @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social: FDA is ‘not convinced’ UniQure’s Huntington’s therapy has benefit, senior official says www.statnews.com/2026/03/03/u...

Really excellent, nuanced piece from @jasonmast.bsky.social on what rare disease patient advocates, experts, and industry are making of the FDA's mixed signals: www.statnews.com/2026/02/26/r...

NEW: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defended FDA's rare disease drug rejections, Vinay Prasad on CNBC this morning. He also appeared to disparage a Huntington’s disease treatment under review. www.statnews.com/2026/02/26/m...

Must read from @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social on the FDA deciding to reject a rare disease drug, despite the review team considering it approvable last year. The rejection comes as the FDA claims to be making regulatory flexibility in rare diseases a priority www.statnews.com/2026/02/25/r...

NEW: FDA unveils rules for bespoke gene therapies, predicting flood of rare disease applications, w/ @jasonmast.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/f...

NEW, w/ @danielpayne.bsky.social: How the pharma lobbying machine is trying to take advantage of a politicized FDA under the Trump administration www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/f...

Scoop: In her first speech to FDA staff, top drug regulator Tracy Beth Høeg said she'll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRI use in pregnancy. She also said she'd like to bring her interest in vaccine policy into the drug center. www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/t...

NEW: FDA taps AI executive to lead digital health center, w/ @mariojoze.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/f...

Honored to have won a George Polk award for my coverage of the turmoil at the FDA. The STAT team was also recognized for reporting on the Trump admin's impact on health and science. www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/s...

BREAKING: FDA reverses course and will now review Moderna's flu vaccine, the company announced Wednesday www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/f...

RFK Jr. has long criticized pharma's influence on the federal government. But Dr. Oz, talking to PhRMA today, took a different approach: welcoming the idea of closed-door meetings and urging industry leaders to work in the admin. w/ @lizzylawrence.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/02/17/p...

NEW: FDA rejects rare disease therapy from Disc Medicine, the first experimental drug to go through the commissioner's fast-track voucher program. STAT previously reported that top official Vinay Prasad became personally involved in this review. www.statnews.com/2026/02/13/d...

on this week's #WTHealth podcast: @alicemiranda.bsky.social, @lizzylawrence.bsky.social, and @jackie-fortier.bsky.social on the controversies at FDA, new bill from Sens. Warren and Hawley (!) and more on immigration and health. kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

This story has now been updated with comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and others:

Scoop: Top FDA official Vinay Prasad overruled the agency’s reviewers when he refused to accept Moderna’s application for a new influenza vaccine, STAT has learned. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...

EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration officials vetoed the FDA's plan to fast-track the review of Compass's psychedelic treatment for severe depression, STAT has learned. The move signals a possible disconnect between senior White House leadership and MAHA. www.statnews.com/2026/02/04/p...

NEW: I obtained a recording of an internal FDA town hall held today, where leaders tried to quell staff and external concerns about the commissioner's voucher program, a controversial new pathway to fast-track certain drugs. Read my exclusive: www.statnews.com/2026/02/03/f...

NEW: You can now access all of STAT's most important FDA reporting from last year in one place. Check out our special report documenting the agency's inner turmoil. reports.statnews.com/products/ins...

You can buy a whole host of sketchy drugs at many gas stations. I wondered why gas stations, of all places, were the premier destination for people seeking quasi-legal recreational (or knockoff pharmaceutical) drugs. I dig into why in this week's @statnews.com STATus Report. youtu.be/4QsVjgIWVZs