Two senior officials serving the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine review arm are reportedly set to leave the agency over the next few months.
Both Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review, and deputy director Phil Krause will depart this fall — Gruber in October and Krause in November, according to CNBC.
“Thank you so much to Marion and Phil for all that they have contributed and continue to contribute to the agency, and thanks so much to each of you for all that you do every day,” Peter Marks, director of the agency’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a letter obtained by the outlet.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the agency for comment.
News of the officials’ exits comes as the Biden administration prepares to begin administering COVID-19 booster shots for eligible individuals beginning Sept. 20. One report detailing Gruber’s and Krause’s exits said how approval for boosters was handled played a role in their decision to leave the FDA.
Biotech outlet Endpoints reported a former senior FDA official said Gruber and Krause were frustrated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was too involved in making the decision on boosters, something they believed should be left up to the FDA.
The White House’s movement on boosters also played a role, according to the former official.
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President Joe Biden has touted boosters publicly, recently entertaining the possible administration of boosters even sooner than the currently recommended time frame of eight months after initial vaccination.
“Pending the FDA and CDC, the question raised is, ‘Should it be shorter? Should it be as little as five months now?'” Biden said Friday. “That’s being discussed. I spoke with Dr. [Anthony] Fauci this morning about that.”
