Several U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees, including some involved in reviewing Elon Musk’s Neuralink, have been fired or released recently. Now, the FDA wants them back.
Tens of thousands of U.S. federal workers have been laid off or dismissed since January. Musk, who was appointed to co-run a new temporary government organization known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has played a significant role in that effort.
The Trump administration has characterized the recent layoffs as an initiative to cut federal spending, shrink the government workforce, limit regulatory oversight, reduce the government’s role in society, and expand presidential authority. Critics, however, argue that the controversial effort has been poorly planned, undermines essential public services, and potentially violates the law.
Now, three hundred former FDA employees released from their jobs are reportedly likely to be rehired. On February 17, two anonymous sources told Reuters that 20 employees were dismissed from the FDA’s Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices. Although officials state that the FDA employees reviewing Neuralink weren’t specifically targeted, the layoffs could make it more difficult for the agency to oversee brain-computer interface technology, raising concerns about safety and innovation in the field.
It remains unclear who ordered the rehirings. However, according to eight FDA sources, eleven employees from the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which oversees medical device reviews for multiple brain-interface companies like Neuralink, have been asked to return to their original jobs.
Over 1,000 FDA staff members, including 20 from the Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices, have been let go. However, whether the workers reviewing Neuralink will be reinstated is still uncertain.
A fast and effective FDA review process is crucial to advancing medical technologies. Last year, the FDA granted Neuralink’s device a special designation to fast-track its development and federal review. Despite consistently receiving top performance ratings, two sources said FDA reviewers were dismissed for “performance reasons.” Their supervisors were not consulted and only learned of the layoffs from the affected employees.
In December, the FDA flagged “objectionable conditions or practices” at Neuralink following employee allegations of animal mistreatment. Federal scrutiny over the company’s animal testing practices began in June 2023, prompting an FDA inspection.
In 2022, it was revealed that internal complaints had surfaced alleging that Neuralink rushed experiments, leading to unnecessary suffering and the deaths of pigs, monkeys, and other animals.
“While the company did receive citations related to documentation of its animal research, the FDA’s inspection did not find evidence of any violations that would undermine the device’s safety,” the FDA said.
Neuralink has denied allegations of animal cruelty, and Musk has stated that “No monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.” However, records filed with The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine document the death of a rhesus macaque at the University of California, Davis, between 2017 and 2020.
This past January marked the first anniversary of Neuralink’s human brain-interface trials. Three people have been implanted with The Link to date.
This past January marked the one-year anniversary of the start of Neuralink’s human-brain interface trials. To date, three people have been implanted with “The Link.”
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.