FDA job cuts hit St. Louis lab, raising concerns over drug testing delays, sources say

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A new round of federal job cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Food and Drug istration, is hitting an FDA research lab in St. Louis, sources at the facility say.

Several employees tell First Alert 4 at least two istrative staffers who work with the South City lab were cut Tuesday.

“They handle our paychecks, they handle purchasing materials we need to do our jobs,” a chemist at the lab told First Alert 4 on the cuts, wishing to remain anonymous out of fear of government retaliation. “And there doesn’t seem to be a plan in place to replace those functions.”

Employees say the changes could further slow the drug safety testing that happens at the lab, which is already impacted by a spending freeze, potentially affecting public health.

This is not the lab’s first run-in with the Trump istration’s cost-cutting measures.

The facility, located at 645 S. Newstead Ave. in the Central West End, was previously identified for lease termination by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. First Alert 4 was first to report that DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” listed the facility’s lease as terminated, citing a projected government savings of nearly $20 million.

While the facility was removed from list, and the FDA confirmed last month that the lab would remain open, the agency has not clarified whether it will stay operational through the remainder of its lease, which expires in 2033.

“We were all exhausted from trying to deal with the potential fallout and figuring out what was going on and what our future would be if the lab wasn’t saved,” an employee said.

While DOGE or the Trump istration did not clarify the lab’s removal from the chopping block, the move came after First Alert 4 reported on the lab’s impacts on public safety. The lab’s chemists are responsible for testing medications for impurities and potential carcinogens, playing a role in major product recalls like Zantac and, most recently, acne treatments found to contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Now, employees say new job cuts could slow that work as it coincides with a spending freeze ordered after the Trump istration took office.

“They’re making it impossible to do our jobs right now,” a chemist said. “This will delay everyone’s access to potentially lifesaving therapeutics. It will delay or prevent finding if there’s any dangerous impurities in any drugs, including over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol, all the way up to lifesaving drugs for cancer and diabetes.”

The cuts come as part of a broader cost-reduction effort by the Trump istration. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has defended the move, saying it streamlines government operations, while critics argue that slashing regulatory resources could pose risks to public health.

Howard Sklamberg, a former FDA deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and policy, previously raised concerns about cuts to the St. Louis lab, calling its work “an important part of the FDA’s program to keep the drug supply safe and effective.”

Scientists at the facility worry that a slowdown in drug testing could have a ripple effect beyond the FDA.

St. Louis is home to major pharmaceutical companies like Bayer, Pfizer, and Mallinckrodt, which depend on timely regulatory processes.

“A slowdown in drug testing doesn’t just affect us. It could impact pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and even consumers waiting on new medications,” the scientist said. “That could mean layoffs in the private sector, as well.”

For now, employees at the lab tell First Alert 4 they are waiting for clarity on how the lab will continue operating without the staff or spending allowances they have lost.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Emily Hilliard, said in a statement:

“The layoffs relate to istrative staff positions in the FDA. These istrative functions are being streamlined as part of HHS’ transformation initiative to make the agency more efficient and responsive. FDA inspectors were not impacted, and this critical work will continue."

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