Three former Food and Drug Administration leaders who served under Democratic and Republican presidents told a Boston audience on Oct. 14 that the agency must rebuild a workforce hit by cuts that began in 2025. Speaking at the STAT Summit, Robert Califf, Scott Gottlieb and Norman "Ned" Sharpless said the departures cost the FDA institutional knowledge that will take years to restore, STAT reported from the summit.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, has framed the reductions as a way to make the agency leaner and more efficient. The debate matters to households because FDA staff review new medicines and medical devices, inspect manufacturing plants and oversee much of the nation's food supply.
