July 29 (Reuters) - Vinay Prasad, the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration's chief medical and science officer, has left the

health regulator, the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, which oversees the FDA, said on Tuesday, confirming an

earlier news report.

"Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great

work of the FDA in the Trump administration and has decided to

return to California and spend more time with his family," an

HHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

"We thank him for his service and the many important

reforms he was able to achieve in his time at FDA."

STAT News first reported about Prasad's departure,

saying it came after a number of controversial decisions by the

FDA regarding a gene therapy drug for the treatment of Duchenne

muscular dystrophy manufactured by Sarepta Therapeutics ( SRPT )

.

The agency first

halted shipments

of the drug, called Elevidys, after the deaths of some

recipients but rescinded the suspension on Monday.

In June, STAT News reported that Prasad was

named

as the health regulator's chief medical and science

officer, citing an internal memo.

In May, the FDA

named

Prasad, an oncologist who previously criticized FDA

leadership and COVID-19 mandates, as the director of its Center

for Biologics Evaluation and Research.