Three FDA staffers, impacted by the recent terminations, spoke to the Associated Press (AP) under the condition of anonymity, citing plans to continue working at the agency and the lack of authorization to discuss internal decisions.
This reversal highlights the chaotic cost-cutting approach of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, which has led to abrupt firings across multiple agencies—including those overseeing nuclear weapons, national parks, and other government services—followed by rushed rehiring efforts.
The decision to reinstate employees came after lobbyists for the medical device industry pushed back. The sector provides the FDA with hundreds of millions of dollars annually to fund additional staff, ensuring a timely review of medical products.
On Monday, AdvaMed, the leading medical device trade group, noted that a "sizeable number" of reviewers were expected to return.
“This would be welcome news, and I appreciate the administration for acting quickly,” said AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker in a statement. “We all share the same goal—an efficient and effective FDA review process that helps advance medical technologies American patients rely on.”
FDA staffers confirmed that entire teams of five or more medical device reviewers had been reinstated. However, there was no indication that other sectors within the FDA—such as its food and tobacco divisions—were seeing similar rehiring efforts.
While the FDA has not disclosed official figures, former officials estimate that around 700 employees were laid off, with over 220 coming from the medical device center—roughly 10% of the program’s workforce.
Like other federal agencies, the FDA’s terminations primarily targeted employees still within their probationary period (typically the first two years of federal employment). However, this strategy resulted in layoffs across critical and rapidly evolving fields, including artificial intelligence and digital health, as well as newly hired senior officials.
“The disarray caused by the wholesale termination of a wide swath of device center staff was counterproductive and appears to have led to unintended negative consequences,” said Steve Silverman, a former FDA device official and current consultant. “It’s encouraging to see a shift in the opposite direction that recognizes the critical expertise of these staffers.”
Many of these reviewers hold advanced degrees in specialized medical and technological fields, making them highly valuable in the private sector, where salaries often outpace government compensation.
Last week, AdvaMed urged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the firings, warning that the cuts would delay product approvals and limit new treatment options for patients.
“FDA will lose hundreds of new employees, the best and most innovative hires under our most recent agreement,” Whitaker wrote in an online statement. He emphasized that hiring FDA device reviewers is primarily funded through a long-term, five-year agreement between the FDA and medical device manufacturers.
The FDA has yet to provide details on how many employees are being reinstated.
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