The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fired 20 employees who oversaw clinical trial applications for neurological and physical medical devices, including those made by Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The firings, part of President Donald Trump’s mass job cuts, have raised concerns about the safety and speed of new technologies’ approval.
The FDA’s office was responsible for reviewing applications for brain implant technology, including Neuralink. However, anonymous sources claim the employees were not specifically targeted in the layoffs, citing “performance issues” despite receiving positive feedback on reviews just weeks prior.
Industry experts warn that the mass sacking of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees will endanger medical device safety and approval times. A coalition of patient organizations has expressed concerns about the impact on global health leadership and research funding.
Neuralink, which aims to implant a tiny chip in paralyzed individuals’ brains to control computer functions with their minds, had its first human clinical trial approved by the FDA in May 2023. The company’s relationship with the FDA is now under scrutiny amid reports of Trump-purged job cuts.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/02/18/doge-fired-fda-employees-overseeing-elon-musk-neuralink