STAT reported that the FDA’s new Commissioner’s National Priority Review voucher program has been used as a vehicle for political influence, with senior officials pressing staff to award vouchers and linking them to White House drug‑pricing deals. Career scientists interviewed for the piece said the process has led to internal pressure and concerns about the integrity of review allocations. That reporting arrives as the FDA confronts staffing and organizational challenges. Industry analyses and conference panels have flagged workforce disruptions, regulatory uncertainty and return‑to‑office policies that affected review timelines throughout 2025, forcing companies to adjust filing and launch strategies. Together the stories underscore how political, staffing and policy forces are reshaping regulatory risk for sponsors—heightening the need for contingency planning and increased engagement with regulators on procedural clarity.