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Several U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees who reviewed Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, were fired over the weekend as part of a broader federal workforce purge led by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk heads.
Two sources told Reuters that about 20 employees from the FDA’s office of neurological and physical medicine devices, some involved with Neuralink-related matters, were among those let go. However, the sources did not believe the employees were targeted specifically for their work on Neuralink approvals.
The cuts raised concerns about the FDA’s ability to efficiently and safely process medical device applications, including those from Neuralink. "It’s intimidating to the FDA professionals who are overseeing Neuralink’s trial," said Victor Krauthamer, a former acting director in the agency’s brain implant trials division.
"We should be worried about the whole trial, and the protection of the people in the trial,” he added. The FDA, the White House and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Musk, who spent over $250 million supporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s reelection bid, has led efforts to slash government spending, including at agencies regulating his companies like Tesla and SpaceX.
His involvement in mass federal layoffs and access to federal databases have sparked criticism, particularly from Democrats, who accused him of lacking transparency regarding his businesses while shutting down agencies such as USAID, which resulted in halting HIV medication shipments to third-world countries.
Trump, asked multiple times about Musk’s role, assured that Musk would address any conflicts of interest. The two developed a close relationship during his election campaign. Reports even suggested Musk had moved into a rental home linked to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
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The layoffs affected FDA scientists reviewing experimental medical device applications. Employees on probation — typically with less than one or two years of service — were hit hardest, as they have fewer legal protections.
Neuralink is testing its brain implant, which would allow paralyzed patients to control digital devices with their thoughts. The company is also developing an implant to restore vision. Last year, the FDA designated the device for expedited review.
Musk previously announced the first implantation of Neuralink’s chip in a human, although months later, the company reported electrode malfunctions reducing signal reception.
"The chip would enable control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking," Musk said. "Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs."
Neuralink received FDA approval for its first human clinical trial in May 2023. A month later, Musk said the company planned to implant its chip in a quadriplegic patient. He previously demonstrated successful implantation in a monkey, saying the animal could play video games using only its mind.
The FDA termination letters cited performance-related reasons, though the employees had received top evaluations weeks earlier, according to sources. Musk’s team did not consult the FDA managers of the fired employees, who only learned about the dismissals afterward.