Recent FDA appointee Dr. George Tidmarsh stepped down on Sunday morning, after getting caught up in a series of scandals over his behavior. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fired him just two days after putting him on administrative leave. This move came after repeated abuses of his judiciary conduct.
Having just become director of the FDA’s CTP in July, Dr. Tidmarsh took the helm during a storm. He’s demonstrated a deep commitment to California’s pharmaceutical and biotech industries, founding and running several companies over four decades. His tenure at the FDA became controversial when he roiled the public waters. This came after he sparked backlash for a tone-deaf LinkedIn post back in September. In that post, he claimed that one of Aurinia Pharmaceutical’s products, a kidney drug, “had not been shown to provide a direct clinical benefit for patients.” The resulting statement led to intense backlash. Due to this, Aurinia’s stock tanked 20%, wiping out over $350 million in shareholder value.
Seeing the tide of outrage, Dr. Tidmarsh hastily deleted the post shortly thereafter. He further addressed this by making it clear that it represented his personal opinions and not in his capacity as an FDA official. Without a doubt, his comments compelled Aurinia to act and defend. She filed a defamation lawsuit against him over his conduct, alleging he made “false and defamatory statements” while serving at the agency. In telling its story, the company said that it’s pursuing either compensatory damages or punitive damages—or both.
On Friday, the HHS office of general counsel notified officials that there were “serious concerns” about Dr. Tidmarsh’s behavior. So they put him on administrative leave with pay. The situation has raised eyebrows within the FDA, as Dr. Tidmarsh’s ouster marks yet another chapter in the agency’s ongoing leadership turmoil.
HHS press secretary Hilliard stated that the department “expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals serving under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency.” This commitment to ethics underscores the challenges the FDA faces in maintaining public confidence amidst a backdrop of leadership changes.
Dr. Tidmarsh was tapped to join the FDA after an interview with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary during the summer. His sudden resignation underscores rifts still plaguing the agency as it continues to struggle with leadership stability and public trust.