Add me to the list of people who are disheartened y the silence of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization to the cuts at the FDA. In an interest to write something that should be coming loud and clear from our industry groups, I give you…
The Impact of Recent FDA Layoffs on Agency Capacity and Public Health
The recent wave of layoffs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), enacted as part of broader illegal federal workforce reductions under the Trump administration, has exacerbated long-standing staffing challenges at the agency. By targeting probationary employees—recent hires and those promoted within the past two years—the cuts have disproportionately affected early-career professionals with cutting-edge technical expertise, disrupted workforce development pipelines, and weakened oversight in critical areas such as medical device regulation, food safety, veterinary medicine, and emerging technologies. These reductions come at a time when the FDA is already grappling with recruitment challenges, inspection backlogs, and increasing demands for regulatory innovation.
Scope and Targets of the Layoffs
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., terminated approximately 5,200 probationary employees across its agencies in mid-February 2025, including hundreds at the FDA. While the agency’s drug review divisions were largely spared, layoffs hit staff in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP).
Medical Devices and Digital Health
In CDRH, at least 230 employees were dismissed, including specialists in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health—fields undergoing rapid technological advancement. These roles are critical for evaluating AI-driven diagnostic tools, wearable devices, and software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) products. The loss of early-career researchers and engineers threatens the FDA’s ability to keep pace with industry innovation, potentially delaying approvals for technologies like neural interfaces and AI-powered imaging systems.
Food Safety and Additives
CFSAN lost staff responsible for reviewing new food additives, colorings, and ingredients—a priority area for Kennedy, who has advocated for stricter chemical regulations. With approximately 2,000 uninspected food and drug facilities globally, the FDA’s inspection backlog is now likely to grow further, raising risks of contamination incidents similar to recent outbreaks linked to infant formula and baby food.
Veterinary Medicine
The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) saw cuts to reviewers assessing the safety of pharmaceuticals for pets and livestock. These roles ensure that medications for animals are effective and that residues in products like milk and eggs remain safe for human consumption. Reductions here could delay approvals for veterinary drugs and weaken monitoring of antimicrobial resistance.
Exacerbating Existing Staffing Challenges
The FDA has historically struggled to recruit and retain specialized staff due to competition from higher-paying private-sector roles. The layoffs worsen these issues by destabilizing workforce development and eroding institutional knowledge.
Loss of Early-Career Talent
Probationary employees—often younger professionals with advanced degrees in fields like data science, bioengineering, and toxicology—represent the FDA’s pipeline for replacing retiring staff. By targeting this group, the cuts disrupt the “learning chain” essential for maintaining expertise. As Kenneth Kaitin, a Tufts University professor, noted: “You’re eliminating the learning chain of people who come into the agency. There’s a long learning curve, and you’re eliminating people at the early stage” (https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/fda-layoffs-trump-doge-hhs-cuts-impact/740499/).
Increased Workloads and Burnout
Remaining staff now face expanded responsibilities. For example, CDRH’s device reviewers, already managing a surge in AI and digital health submissions, must absorb the work of dismissed colleagues without additional support. Similarly, food safety inspectors—many of whom were hired post-pandemic to address backlogs—are now stretched thinner, increasing the likelihood of oversights.
Recruitment and Morale
The layoffs have demoralized the workforce and damaged the FDA’s reputation as a stable employer. As Mitch Zeller, former FDA tobacco director, stated: “The combined effect of what they’re trying to do is going to destroy the ability to recruit and retain talent” (https://www.startribune.com/trump-administration-cuts-reach-fda-employees-in-food-safety-medical-devices-and-tobacco-products/601223844). With hiring frozen under an executive order requiring agencies to replace only one employee for every four departures, the FDA cannot easily rebuild capacity.
The Training Bottleneck
The probationary period at the FDA (1–2 years for new hires) is designed to provide hands-on training in complex regulatory science. Dismissing employees during this phase wastes significant investments in onboarding and delays the development of proficiency.
Specialized Skill Development
Reviewers in areas like AI-driven medical devices or gene therapies require months of training to evaluate technical dossiers, assess clinical data, and understand regulatory precedents. Losing these employees resets progress, forcing the FDA to restart the training process once hiring resumes.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
New hires often rotate through multiple divisions to build interdisciplinary expertise. For instance, a food additive reviewer might collaborate with toxicologists and epidemiologists to assess long-term health risks. Disrupting these rotations limits opportunities for knowledge-sharing, weakening the agency’s ability to address novel public health challenges.
Long-Term Consequences for Public Health
Slower Product Reviews
User fee-funded positions—which account for nearly half of the FDA’s $6.9 billion budget—were not spared from cuts. Since these roles are financed by industry to expedite reviews, their elimination could delay approvals for new drugs, devices, and food ingredients without reducing federal spending.
Weakened Outbreak Response
The FDA collaborates with the CDC to trace contamination sources during foodborne illness outbreaks. With fewer inspectors and scientists, the agency’s capacity to identify pathogens like Salmonella or Listeria will diminish, prolonging outbreaks and increasing hospitalization risks.
Erosion of Global Leadership
The FDA’s regulatory standards influence global markets. Slower reviews and outdated technical capacity could push companies to seek approvals in regions with more predictable oversight, such as the EU or Singapore, undermining U.S. competitiveness.
Conclusion
The FDA layoffs represent a shortsighted approach to government efficiency that prioritizes short-term spending cuts over long-term public health. By targeting probationary employees, the administration has exacerbated recruitment challenges, disrupted workforce development, and weakened oversight in critical areas. Rebuilding the FDA’s capacity will require reversing hiring freezes, increasing salaries to compete with the private sector, and safeguarding user fee funds from political interference. Without these steps, the agency’s ability to ensure food safety, evaluate emerging technologies, and respond to health crises will continue to erode—with dire consequences for consumers, industry, and global health security.
“The cuts at FDA will be terribly harmful for the American people. Indiscriminately firing people because they are new to the agency makes no sense.”
– Patti Zettler, former HHS Deputy General Counsel (https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/fda-layoffs-trump-doge-hhs-cuts-impact/740499/)
Investigations of a Dog 