Top FDA drug regulator Richard Pazdur filed retirement paperwork, signaling another senior departure at the agency amid a period of rapid leadership turnover. The move comes weeks after Pazdur was appointed to lead the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), prompting concerns across the industry about continuity at the agency’s drug review office. Concurrently, the FDA named Tracy Beth Høeg, M.D., Ph.D., as acting director of CDER. Høeg gained public attention for her role in prior vaccine safety work; her appointment follows internal debate and external scrutiny of vaccine-related investigations. The pair of announcements underscores heightened uncertainty at the FDA as companies evaluate regulatory risk and prepare near-term submissions.