The former head of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) drug division has joined Pfizer as the top medical director, the company announced Monday.
Patrizia Cavazzoni was the director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) from 2020 to January, and resigned before President Trump took office.
Cavazzoni previously worked for Pfizer before joining the FDA in 2018.
The announcement spurred new criticism about the common “revolving door” between the FDA and industry. Critics worry that their close relationships will lead to liking for industry with Quid Pros.
Robert Caliph, who served as an FDA committee member under President Obama, left the agency to advise Google's health and its spinoff, truly life sciences. The move has attracted criticism and opposition from Senate Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and President Biden nominated him for the same job.
The Caliph ultimately made ethical concessions to Warren and secured the vote. This includes a pledge that he will not seek employment or compensation from drug or medical device companies he interacted with as a commissioner for four years since his resignation.
Scott Gottlieb, the FDA commissioner during Trump's first term, is currently serving on the Pfizer board.
Department of Health, Human Services and Human Services (HHS) Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long accused the FDA of being seen as corrupt and seen in industry impact, with the expected benefits across government agencies. It promises to eradicate conflicts.
Just before the election, while Trump was considering him for his HHS secretary, Kennedy said on social media that FDA employees “are part of this corruption system” should “package their bags.” I've posted it.
Employment of Watchdog Group Public Citizen Panned Cavazzoni.
“The Cavazonni movement shows that the revolving door between the FDA and the industries it regulates is alive and undermines the reliability of the FDA as a public health agency,” said the organization's director of the Health Research Group. Robert Steinbrook said in a statement.
