Former FDA oncology chief Richard Pazdur says he resigned after being pressured to endorse a policy that reduces clinical trial requirements, alleging he was handed a prewritten quote and told to "just agree to it," according to an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Pazdur framed the change as part of a broader shift under Commissioner Marty Makary that breaches the traditional separation between the commissioner’s office and review staff. Separately, Vinay Prasad, head of CBER, is facing internal complaints over conduct and has drawn criticism for overruling review teams in the Moderna influenza submission, prompting public pushback from agency scientists and Moderna’s CEO. Reporting from The Wall Street Journal and STAT describes staff dissent and procedural disputes centering on trial design and decision-making authority. The two episodes together signal a period of regulatory friction at the FDA: senior leaders departing or under scrutiny while the agency implements expedited approval policies. Industry participants and investors should track near-term impacts on review predictability, sponsor interactions with review teams, and potential shifts in evidentiary expectations.