Timothy Stenzel, the head of the FDA’s diagnostics division during the Covid-19 pandemic, has retired. He was in the middle of a turf battle between the CDC and FDA over the regulation of Covid tests. The FDA found it difficult to control lab-developed tests, especially in the case of Covid-19 PCR tests. This was a busy time, as test makers were quickly introducing new Covid-19 screening products with little data. The FDA required labs to apply for emergency use authorization, but the Department of Health and Human Services told the FDA to stop this measure, despite knowing that many tests may have been inaccurate.
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Head of FDA’s diagnostics center, who led through Covid, retires
