FDA officials Marion Gruber and Phil Krause leave frustrations with Biden administrator’s COVID response

Two officials working on the regulation of the COVID-19 vaccine have left the Food and Drug Administration, reportedly out of frustration with the Biden administration. Dr. Marion Gruber, head of the FDA’s Office of Vaccine Research and Review, will finish in October. Gruber is a 32-year FDA veteran and has helped fight flu, Ebola, MERS, Zika and SARS outbreaks. His deputy, Dr. Phil Krause, will leave the following month.

The FDA gave no reason for their exits, but Endpoints News, a biotech industry outlet, reported that Gruber and Krause were frustrated with the CDC making decisions the FDA should make. The final straw was the Biden administration’s announcement that COVID reinforcement features would be made available, before the FDA had finished evaluating the data on the need for a third coup. The departure of officials threatens to further destabilize an agency plagued by the lack of a fixed leader. Janet Woodcock, the current acting commissioner, will likely not be considered for the permanent post.