QURE, SRPT, MRNA Shares Rally On Report Of Vinay Prasad’s FDA Exit

U.S. Food and Drug Administration vaccine chief Vinay Prasad is reportedly leaving the agency at the end of April.

The Wall Street Journal reported the upcoming departure on Friday, citing FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.

Shares of select pharmaceutical companies with whom Prasad has sparred with during his tenure rallied on the news. Shares of Moderna (MRNA) traded 3% higher after hours while uniQure (QURE) stock rallied 50%. Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) also gained 5% in extended hours of trading.

Makary said that federal health officials are now on the lookout for a replacement for Prasad who led the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA. He was responsible for reviewing certain cancer drugs, gene therapies, and other treatments in addition to vaccines.

Prasad’s Shaky Tenure

During his tenure, Prasad faced several disputes pertaining to drug reviews.

Earlier this year, Prasad refused to consider an application seeking approval for Moderna’s flu shot but the agency later pivoted after Moderna agreed on another confirmation study post-approval.

Most recently, the FDA has gone up against uniQure’s gene therapy for ⁠Huntington's disease. The agency has recommended that the company conduct a sham-surgery-controlled study after disagreeing with other study data submitted.

Prasad previously resigned in July 2025 merely months into the job following controversies over decisions on Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Prasad was brought back shortly afterwards.

Reasons For Exit

Regarding Prasad’s departure this term, Makary reportedly said that he had only intended to remain at the agency during his period of absence at the University of California.

As per the agency commissioner, all policies that Prasad wanted to help implement have now been announced, including a new priority program to expedite the application review process for treatments that meet national priorities. 

Read More: Incyte’s Drug Approved In Europe For Treating Yet Another Rare Cancer

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