WASHINGTON — The head of the Food and Drug Administration's drug center abruptly resigned Sunday after federal officials began considering “serious concerns about his personal conduct,” a government official said.
Dr George Tidmarshwho was appointed to the FDA position in July, was placed on leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of General Counsel were notified of the problems, HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard said in an email. Tidmarsh then resigned on Sunday morning.
“Secretary Kennedy expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals working under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency,” Hilliard said.
The departure came the same day that a drugmaker associated with one of Tidmarsh's former business partners filed a lawsuit alleging he made “false and defamatory statements” during his time at the FDA.
The lawsuit filed by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals alleges that Tidmarsh used his position at the FDA to pursue a “long-standing personal vendetta” against the company's chairman, Kevin Tang.
According to the lawsuit, Tan previously served on the board of directors of several pharmaceutical companies where Tidmarsh was an executive, including La Jolla Pharmaceutical, and participated in his removal from those leadership positions.
Messages left for Tidmarsh and his lawyer were not immediately returned late Sunday.
Tidmarsh founded and led a number of pharmaceutical companies in California's pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for several decades. Prior to joining the FDA, he also served as an adjunct professor at Stanford University. He was hired by the agency over the summer after meeting with the FDA commissioner. Marty Macari.
Tidmarsh's sacking is the latest in a string of random leadership changes at the agency, which has been rocked for months by layoffs, furloughs and controversial decisions on vaccine, fluoride And other products.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, who oversees the FDA's Vaccines and Biologics Center, resigned in July after coming under criticism from conservative activists close to President Donald Trump, but returned to the agency two weeks later at the direction of the health secretary. Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
The FDA's pharmaceutical center, which Tidmarsh oversaw, has lost more than 1,000 employees over the past year due to layoffs or layoffs, according to the agency. The Center is the largest division of the FDA and is responsible for the inspection, safety and quality control of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
In September, Tidmarsh attracted public attention with a highly unusual post on LinkedIn, which said that one of Aurinia Pharmaceutical's products, a kidney drug, “has not shown direct clinical benefit in patients.” It is highly unusual for the FDA regulator to single out individual companies and products in public comments online.
According to the company's lawsuit, Aurinia shares fell 20% shortly after going public, wiping out more than $350 million in shareholder value.
Tidmarsh later deleted the LinkedIn post and said he posted it in his personal capacity and not as a spokesperson for the FDA.
Aurinia's lawsuit also alleges, among other things, that Tidmarsh used his position at the FDA to fight a thyroid drug made by another company, American Laboratories, where Tan is also chairman of the board of directors.
The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Maryland, seeks compensatory and punitive damages and “the establishment of the truth,” the company said.
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