Appointment of controversial FDA official rocking agency like "an atom bomb," scientists there say

Source: CBS News

December 7, 2025 / 11:33 AM EST


The Trump administration's elevation of a vaccine skeptic to lead a high-profile office within the Food and Drug Administration is raising alarm among multiple senior FDA officials, who told CBS News the appointment will harm the agency's reputation as a reliable steward of the nation's drug supply. On Wednesday, Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg was tapped as acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which is responsible for evaluating new drugs and ensuring adequate supplies of existing ones.

Her appointment came after the abrupt resignation of Richard Pazdur, a veteran FDA scientist who took over the office just three weeks ago. "Putting Tracy Beth in charge is like dropping an atom bomb," one agency source said, adding that multiple top-level officials are preparing resignations. "It's an extinction level event. Tracy Beth Høeg has never supervised a drug review, never has conducted a clinical trial. She doesn't understand laws and regulations."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to questions about Høeg's qualifications. Høeg did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement when she was appointed, Høeg said, "I am committed to transparency, honesty, and decisions based on rigorous science and ensuring important changes happen efficiently."

Høeg has been a controversial figure. This fall, she advocated making it more difficult for young men to receive the COVID vaccine because of the potential risks from a rare side effect, myocarditis, according to STAT News. Since joining the FDA in March, she has been advising Commissioner Marty Makary on the agency's vaccine policy, and helped write a recent memo claiming FDA leaders found at least 10 children had died "after and because of" receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-tracy-beth-hoeg-controversy/