**Shocking FDA Connection Uncovered in Recent Dismissals**
Written by Rachael Levy and Marisa Taylor
In a recent turn of events, a group of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees who were involved in the evaluation of Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink were let go over the weekend as part of a broader restructuring within the federal workforce. This information comes from two sources familiar with the situation who chose to remain anonymous due to potential professional consequences.
Approximately 20 individuals working in the FDA’s office of neurological and physical medicine devices were affected by the layoffs, with several of them directly engaged with projects related to Neuralink. These employees were responsible for the review of clinical-trial applications submitted by Neuralink and other companies developing brain-computer interface devices. Despite speculation, both sources indicated that they did not believe the dismissals were targeted specifically due to the employees’ involvement with Neuralink’s applications.
The reduction of around 20 staff members is anticipated to have a negative impact on the FDA’s capacity to efficiently and securely process applications for medical devices across the board, including those from Neuralink, as suggested by the sources and external experts.
Victor Krauthamer, a former FDA official with three decades of experience, including a role as acting director of the office handling human-trial requests for brain implants, expressed concerns about the potential implications on the oversight of Neuralink’s trials. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals participating in such trials.
Requests for comments from the FDA, White House, and Elon Musk went unanswered at the time of reporting. President Trump previously stated that Musk would take steps to avoid conflicts of interest concerning his business ventures and efforts to reduce government expenditures.
The layoffs mirrored actions taken in other government agencies, impacting scientists on probation who were involved in the review of medical device applications, according to one source. Probationary employees typically have limited service tenure, often less than one or two years, and fewer legal protections.
Neuralink is presently conducting trials for its device, which enables individuals with paralysis to interact with digital devices through their thoughts alone. Additionally, the company is developing an implant designed to restore vision. Last year, the FDA granted a special designation to this vision-restoring device to facilitate its development and regulatory review.
Following substantial financial contributions to support President Trump’s re-election campaign, Elon Musk has spearheaded an extensive initiative to reduce government spending, including within agencies overseeing his ventures like Tesla and SpaceX.
Even though the dismissal letters cited performance-related reasons, the affected employees had no prior performance issues and had recently received top evaluations. Surprisingly, their supervisors were not consulted ahead of the mass layoffs and only became aware through their staff members.
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