STAT+: The FDA’s rebuilding effort is running into a new challenge

WASHINGTON — To hear Food and Drug Administration leaders tell it, everything is going swimmingly — a far cry from the dark days of April 2025, when Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service took a chainsaw to the agency, slashing 3,500 workers and triggering a broader staff exodus. Just over a year later, Musk is out and hiring is in. The FDA is now looking to add more than 2,000 workers. “We’re very actively hiring,” Karim Mikhail, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told drug manufacturers at a conference Monday. On social media, the agency trumpets its new employees with group photos, declaring “Welcome to FDA!’’ Yet for all the talk of a hiring spree, the reality is more complicated, STAT has learned: The FDA’s hiring push is mired in bureaucratic delays, thanks to the same DOGE cuts the agency is trying to address. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe