Fury as Trump’s drug chief quits to join Pfizer for mega salary in move slammed as ‘conflict of interest’
Health experts have expressed conflict of interest concerns after the FDA’s drug chief quit for a top job in Big Pharma.
Pfizer announced this week that Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, former director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), will join the company as its chief medical officer.
Though the exact salary is unknown, job posting sites suggest the position pays up to $500,000 per year before bonuses, more than the $400,000 per year the president of the United States makes.
The move comes amid criticism from newly elected health chief Robert F Kennedy Junior, who has accused the FDA of being too beholden to industry influence, as nearly two-thirds of the agency’s funding comes from the pharmaceutical companies it regulates.
Health experts told DailyMail.com Dr Cavazzoni’s new post ‘proves RFK Jr’s point’ about the ‘revolving door’ between health agencies and Big Pharma.
Dr Cavazzoni held her position at CDER from 2020 until last month, resigning just before President Donald Trump’s return to office and the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
Dr Cavazzoni, who previously worked at Pfizer before joining the FDA in 2018, is the latest in a long line of former health officials jumping ship for Big Pharma.
Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, former director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), will join Pfizer as its chief medical officer, the company announced this week
Robert F Kennedy Jr, pictured here, has accused the FDA of corruption and being too beholden to industry influence, as nearly two-thirds of the agency’s funding comes from pharmaceutical companies
Former FDA commissioner Dr Robert Califf, who served under President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden, moved from the agency to Google Health and its spinoff Verily Life Sciences after Trump was elected the first time.
Dr Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner during the first Trump administration, now serves on Pfizer’s board.
Dr Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist in Beverly Hills who also holds a public health degree, called the timing of Dr Cavazzoni’s new appointment ‘shocking’ and said it could lead to a potential conflict of interest.
She told DailyMail.com: ‘It only proves the point RFK Jr’s point that the FDA and Big Pharma are in bed together.
‘One would expect Dr Cavazzoni to have waited until the “ink was dry” on his confirmation before making this move and making headlines.
‘This will erode the trust that Americans have in the FDA and Big Pharma even more because people will realize that [the FDA] will just let drugs be labelled “FDA approved” without doing enough research to test their safety.’
Currently, the FDA receives about 65 percent of its funding from pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, including those who may be applying for drug or medical device approval.
Neal K Shah, founder and CEO of CareYaya and Counterforce Health, told DailyMail.com that Dr Cavazzoni’s appointment ‘illustrates the ongoing “revolving door”‘ between the FDA and Big Pharma.
Like Dr Lieberman, he also warned the move ‘is a further validation of RFK Jr’s long-standing criticism of the FDA’s compromised independence and integrity,’ as agencies may be more biased and likely to approve drugs not yet properly tested or proven safe.
Shah said: ‘When FDA officials are employed in the industry, they are likely to make decisions that favor the pharmaceutical companies with which they have past associations and might have future ties.
‘This poses particular dangers for a health care sector where safety is paramount.
‘Former regulators might be too cozy with their former employers to enforce the kind of tough standards that are sometimes necessary.’
The concerns echo those of surrounding previous FDA officials with ties to pharmaceutical companies.
Dr Robert Califf, FDA commissioner under Presidents Obama and Biden, had to make ethics concessions about his ties to the pharmaceutical industry before he could secure votes to head the agency a second time
Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist being eyed for a top advisory role alongside RFK Jr (he is pictured at right with RFK Jr), has proposed the FDA receive none of its funding from Big Pharma to eliminate bias
When former President Biden nominated Dr Califf to head the FDA for a second time, politicians and other critics accused him of bias because he had served as an advisor to Google Health and Verily Life Sciences during the first Trump administration.
After his nomination, Dr Califf had to make ethics concessions to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) to secure her vote, meaning he had to admit his past ties could make him more likely to make biased choices.
As part of the agreement, he promised not to seek employment or compensation from drug or medical device companies he interacted with as commissioner for four years.
He also swore to step back from matters that may have involved his former employers or clients for four years.
It’s unclear if Dr Gottlieb is beholden to similar terms as an FDA boss turned Pfizer board member.
Experts writing in the British Medical Journal last year also expressed concerns about moves like these and called the connection a ‘revolving door.’
Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist being eyed for a top advisory role alongside RFK Jr, has proposed eliminating bias by looking at funding directly.
He previously told DailyMail.com that the FDA should receive none of its budget from Big Pharma, as officials shouldn’t fear ‘biting the hand that feeds them.’
‘You can’t fix healthcare without removing corporate interests,’ he said.
Shah called on the FDA to institute ‘more responsible gatekeeping’ to keep health agencies serving public interest over interests of pharmaceutical giants.
He said: ‘The FDA’s funding from industry comes at too high a cost.’
