Richard Pazdur filed paperwork to retire as director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, marking the latest in a year of rapid turnover at the agency. The move follows internal turmoil and high-level personnel shifts that have left CDER with multiple short-tenure leaders in 2025. Industry stakeholders say repeated leadership changes complicate regulatory predictability for drug approvals and lifecycle planning. A separate analysis warns that naming a Makary-aligned successor will prompt staff departures and could ease constraints on political appointees. BioCentury reporting highlights potential attrition among career officials and suggests the shift may change enforcement and review priorities. Regulatory continuity and institutional memory are likely to be immediate concerns for sponsors preparing NDA and BLA submissions.