FDA says drug research, testing lab in St. Louis ‘will remain open’ amid DOGE’s efforts to close it

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Amid efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut costs nationwide, the lease on a Food and Drug istration (FDA) research lab in St. Louis was identified by the department to be terminated.

Now, the FDA says the facility will remain open.

“We can confirm that the FDA’s St. Louis laboratory facility will remain open,” an FDA spokesperson told First Alert 4.

When asked to clarify how long the facility would remain open and whether the lab was still on DOGE’s chopping block, the spokesperson said, “We do not have any further information to share.”

The lease in question was identified to expire in 2033. It is unclear whether the lab will be open through then. The lease is still listed as being terminated on DOGE’s website.

First Alert 4 was first to report that DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” shows a lease termination of a 50,000-square-foot Food and Drug istration (FDA) facility in St. Louis, a move it claims will save the government nearly $20 million or about $2.5 million a year through the remainder of the lease.

The facility sits at 645 S. Newstead Ave. in the Central West End. Chemists there are responsible for testing medications for impurities and potential carcinogens, among other things.

The update comes as a former top government watchdog is raising concerns over DOGE’s decision to slash laboratory space in St. Louis, a facility he says plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of prescription medications.

“The functions of this lab in particular are an important part of the FDA’s program to keep the drug supply safe and effective,” Howard Sklamberg, a former FDA deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and policy.

“The lab in St. Louis is really the FDA’s flagship pharmaceutical lab,” Sklamberg said.

Several chemists working at the St. Louis lab, all of whom wished to remain anonymous, told First Alert 4 that eliminating the facility would not save money.

“I felt betrayed, both for myself and for the American people,” one scientist said.

Sklamberg said it’s unclear how the facility ended up on DOGE’s list of budget cuts, but he questions whether those making the decision have the necessary expertise.

“It’s very hard for me to imagine that a small number of people without a background in public health or how the FDA operates can make that decision in an informed way,” he said.

He also stressed that the lab’s work has national implications.

“Drugs tested in the St. Louis lab are consumed in Washington, Maine, Florida, Puerto Rico and everywhere in between,” Sklamberg said.

First Alert 4 has reached out to DOGE and the federal agency overseeing government leases, the General Services istration (GSA), but so far, there has been no response as to whether the facility’s lease is still a target of cuts.

This comes as the Trump istration has deleted a list of hundreds of federal buildings targeted for potential sale on GSA’s website.

First Alert 4 is working to track down the full list. The initial list had included some of the country’s most recognizable buildings, along with courthouses, offices and even parking garages and spanned nearly every state. In Washington, D.C., it included the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which serves as FBI headquarters, the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, the Old Post Office building, where President Donald Trump once ran a hotel, and the American Red Cross headquarters. The headquarters of numerous agencies, including Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, were listed as well.

“We are identifying buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations, or non-core properties for disposal,” the GSA said of the initial list of 443 properties. Selling the properties “ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal space,” it said, and “helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that agency missions.”

Local lawmakers react

In an interview with First Alert 4, Rep. Wesley Bell condemned the “hap-hazard” efforts by the Trump istration and DOGE to fire federal workers and terminate leases of federal buildings.

He says he had no clue the St. Louis lab would land on DOGE’s chopping block.

“I don’t know what the istration’s plan is because they’re doing these things haphazardly and not giving guidance,” Bell said.

Bell called out his republican counterparts, saying they are “asleep at the wheel.”

“Let’s be as honest and straightforward as we can: this is the work of Republicans,” Bell said. “They’re in the majority, they have the presidency, the house and the senate ... House Republicans are just going along with it.”

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) responded with this statement:

“Classic Donald Trump and Elon Musk—creating chaos and disorganization around their haphazard initiative to ‘sell’ federal buildings to now backtracking on that plan further proves there is no rhyme to their reason. These buildings house essential services for Americans like the Social Security istration, Food and Drug istration, Department of Labor, Drug Enforcement istration, General Services istration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Internal Revenue Service offices. Threatening to ‘sell’ the buildings where federal workers are doing their job for the American people is careless and unproductive.”

First Alert 4 also reached out to U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt of Missouri, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Missouri Representatives Bob Onder, Ann Wagner, Jason Smith, as well as Illinois Representatives Mary Miller, Mike Bost and Nikki Budzinski. The elected officials have yet to send a response on DOGE’s efforts to slash the FDA facility in St. Louis.

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