FDA removes scientists from advisory committees as part of broader federal scientific advisory purge

The Food and Drug Administration removed dozens of scientists from its medical product advisory committees, which provide independent expert review of drug approvals, vaccine safety, and medical device authorization. FDA advisory committees are central to the agency's drug and vaccine approval process: their public meetings and recommendations provide the scientific legitimacy that gives FDA approvals their credibility with doctors and patients. The removal of scientists whose views were characterized as ideologically inconsistent with the administration's priorities raised questions about whether future FDA advisory panels would provide genuinely independent review. Physicians and medical associations warned that compromising the independence of FDA advisory processes could erode public trust in drug approvals and vaccine safety decisions.