Controversial doctor Vinay Prasad named CBER director, STAT reports

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary named Vinay Prasad as the next director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, overseeing the regulation of vaccines, gene therapies, and the blood supply, reported STAT, citing an email informing staff of the hiring. Prasad has sharply criticized the medical mainstream, including the FDA, in the past, noted STAT’s Lizzy Lawrence, Matthew Herper, and Jason Mast. In midday trading following the news, the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) is down 5% to $78.26. Biotech stocks that could be impacted by the news include Sarepta (SRPT), Xencor (XNCR), PTC Therapeutics (PTCT), Biohaven (BHVN), Edgewise Therapeutics (EWTX), Design Therapeutics (DSGN), Ultragenyx (RARE), Avidity Biosciences (RNA), Dyne Therapeutics (DYN), Wave Life Sciences (WVE), MeiraGTx (MGTX), uniQure (QURE), Regenxbio (RGNX), Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (NVAX) and Lexeo Therapeutics (LXEO).