{"id":1840,"date":"2026-05-18T19:31:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1840"},"modified":"2026-05-18T19:31:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:31:38","slug":"fda-drug-center-director-removed-in-latest-shake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1840","title":{"rendered":"FDA drug center director removed in latest shake-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON<\/strong> – <\/span>A Food and Drug Administration official involved in reviewing the safety of antidepressants, COVID-19 vaccines, and other widely used treatments has been removed from her position overseeing the agency\u2019s drug program.<\/p>

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According to an email sent to agency staff on Friday and obtained by The Associated Press, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg will be replaced as acting director of the FDA\u2019s drug center by Dr. Mike Davis, who has been serving as deputy director.<\/p>

FDA drug center director Tracy Beth removed<\/h2>
<\/div>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Hoeg said in a social media post late Friday that she was “fired,” from the agency.<\/p>

“Today marked 6 months as head of CDER at @FDA<\/u> & today I was fired,” she wrote on May 15, adding. “I\u2019m incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity to serve this country & proud of the work we did. FDA staff are smart, talented, supportive & don\u2019t get enough credit.”\u00a0<\/p>

She concluded, “I learned so much & leave with no regrets.”\u00a0<\/p>

Hoeg\u2019s rise to FDA drug center director<\/h2>

The backstory:<\/p>

Hoeg, who is closely aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had been leading FDA\u2019s drug program since December.<\/p>

Hoeg was promoted from serving as a special assistant to overseeing the agency\u2019s largest center, responsible for regulating most U.S. prescription and over-the-counter drugs.<\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg during a meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Credit: Megan Varner\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>

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Since arriving at the FDA last March, Hoeg led investigations into the safety of injectable\u00a0RSV drugs<\/u> for children,\u00a0antidepressants<\/u> and COVID-19 vaccinations.<\/p>

Hoeg was instrumental in the Trump administration\u2019s recent effort to\u00a0drop a number of federally recommended shots for children<\/u>, including those for the flu and hepatitis B at birth. Those changes have been\u00a0temporarily blocked<\/u> by a federal judge in Boston, though the administration plans to appeal the decision.<\/p>

Last shake-up at agency<\/h2>

Big picture view:<\/p>

Hoeg\u2019s departure is the latest in an ongoing shake-up at the regulatory agency.<\/p>

Last week, Marty Makary, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned just over one year since taking the job.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Trump’s FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, to resign<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

A White House official told FOX News that Makary\u2019s resignation had to do with “process at the FDA” and that there was “no bad blood” between Makary and President Donald Trump.\u00a0<\/p>

Last month,\u00a0Dr. Vinay Prasad<\/u>, the agency\u2019s vaccine and biotech chief, also stepped down following intense criticism from drugmakers, patients and investors.<\/p>

Read more \u2018Rachel Dolezal\u2019 back in spotlight after revealing new career choice<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The FDA’s top drug official Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg is leaving in the latest shake-up at the powerful health agency. 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