FDA drug chief RESIGNS amid ethics probe, lawsuit over alleged vendetta against pharma investor
- Dr. George Tidmarsh, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director, resigned abruptly after an internal probe into his LinkedIn post attacking Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ lupus drug – a move that wiped $350M off the company’s stock value.
- Aurinia’s lawsuit claims Tidmarsh used his FDA position to settle a personal grudge against board chairman Kevin Tang, alleging attempted extortion by leveraging FDA actions against Tang’s other company, American Laboratories.
- Tidmarsh denied wrongdoing, calling the investigation retaliatory and blaming FDA leadership for fostering a “toxic environment” – particularly over his opposition to a legally dubious agency voucher program.
- Tidmarsh’s exit follows other high-profile FDA departures, including vaccine policy clashes involving Drs. Vinay Prasad and Peter Marks, exposing systemic corruption and Big Pharma’s influence over regulators.
- The scandal underscores the agency’s compromised ethics, with regulators weaponizing positions for personal or corporate gain – eroding public trust in drug safety and highlighting the dangers of centralized medical tyranny.
Dr. George Tidmarsh, the director of the Food and Drug Administration‘s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, abruptly resigned Sunday, Nov. 2. His departure followed an internal investigation into his conduct – sparked by a controversial LinkedIn post targeting a pharmaceutical company linked to a former business associate.
Tidmarsh, appointed just four months ago by FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, was placed on administrative leave Friday, Oct. 31. According to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokeswoman Emily Hillard, the suspension came after the department learned of “serious concerns about his personal conduct.”
The probe centered on Tidmarsh’s September post criticizing Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ lupus drug, voclosporin, which he claimed had “significant toxicity” and lacked clinical benefit. Aurinia’s stock plummeted 20 percent after Tidmarsh’s post, erasing $350 million in market value, raising concerns that he weaponized his FDA position. Tidmarsh later deleted the post, claiming it reflected his personal views, not the agency’s.
The drug firm called the post “false and defamatory” in a lawsuit filed the same day Tidmarsh resigned. The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland accused Tidmarsh of harboring a “longstanding personal vendetta” against Aurinia board chairman Kevin Tang – a former colleague who had pushed for Tidmarsh’s ouster from multiple biotech firms years earlier.
The lawsuit also alleged that Tidmarsh attempted to “extort and solicit a bribe” from Tang by leveraging FDA actions against another Tang-affiliated company, American Laboratories, which produces thyroid medications. Tidmarsh allegedly pressured Tang after the FDA moved to restrict desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) products – a decision Aurinia claims was deliberately targeted.
FDA’s regulatory rot: Science sacrificed for profit
Tidmarsh denied the allegations in a New York Times interview, calling the HHS probe retaliatory and blaming FDA leadership for fostering a “toxic environment.” He claimed his objections to a new agency voucher program – which he argued lacked legal grounding – triggered his dismissal.
Yet his sudden exit adds to a growing list of high-profile departures at the FDA. These include the July resignation (and swift reinstatement) of Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, amid clashes over vaccine policies. Prasad’s predecessor, Dr. Peter Marks, also abruptly left the regulator in March.
The Tidmarsh saga is more than just bureaucratic drama – it’s a symptom of systemic rot. His resignation underscores the deepening turmoil within the FDA, an agency already under fire for regulatory capture by Big Pharma and questionable ethical standards. Tidmarsh’s LinkedIn outburst, highly unprofessional for a senior regulator, echoes past instances of FDA officials undermining trust in approved drugs without scientific justification – a tactic often deployed to manipulate markets or suppress competition.
“The revolving door between the FDA and Big Pharma creates dangerous conflicts of interest, as regulators may prioritize future industry job prospects over public safety,” BrightU.AI‘s Enoch engine points out. Tidmarsh himself was a biotech executive before joining the agency, raising questions about conflicts of interest. His case also highlights the dangers of centralized medical authority – where a single bureaucrat’s bias can sway drug policy, devastate companies and ultimately endanger patients who rely on transparent, science-driven regulation.
As the FDA grapples with yet another leadership crisis, the Tidmarsh resignation serves as a stark reminder. When regulators blur the lines between personal vendettas and public duty, the entire medical system suffers. For an agency already battling accusations of corruption and ineptitude, restoring trust will require more than resignations.
Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Del Bigtree lamenting that the FDA has lost its way in this video.
This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
TheEpochTimes.com
APNews.com
FiercePharma.com
BrightU.ai
Brighteon.com
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