Former CDER chief Richard Pazdur said he was pressured to endorse FDA messaging on reduced clinical‑trial requirements, telling reporters he was handed a press release and asked to "just agree to it" before stepping down. Separately, Vinay Prasad, head of CBER, faces internal complaints alleging misconduct amid disputes over Moderna’s influenza vaccine submission and decisions to return a refusal‑to‑file letter. Both episodes involve high‑profile drug‑review decisions and internal pushback over regulatory standards. For industry, the developments raise near‑term uncertainty about FDA review consistency and signal potential policy shifts under current leadership that could affect trial design expectations and sponsor interactions.