Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biological Assessment and Research at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education and Labor Pensions Committee to discuss the federal government’s ongoing response to Covid-19 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2021.
Greg Nash | Pool | Reuters
According to a resignation letter obtained by CNBC, Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator, resigned after citing “false information and lies” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, citing “false information and lies” about vaccinations.
For nearly a decade, Marks led the FDA’s Center for Biological Evaluation and Research. This is a post that includes the evaluation of the Covid-19 vaccine and establishing guidelines for emerging treatments such as cell and gene therapy. The FDA’s key figure, Biopharma Industry Insiders, looked closely at Mark during the transition.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Marks’ resignation, saying that Department of Health and Human Services officials gave Marks the opportunity to resign or fire. Marks, the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a resignation letter to deputy FDA committee member Sarah Brenner, Marks praised the agency’s staff for their work in promoting the development of vaccines that meet the standards of quality, safety and efficacy that Americans expect and “arguably in the US and elsewhere, which have significantly reduced morbidity and mortality from Covid-19. He called the efforts to address the unfavourable health effects of vaccinations, specifically citing the current outbreak of measles as an example of the “clear danger” of “harming confidence in established vaccines.”
“You know, I have worked to address the secretary’s concerns about vaccine safety and transparency by conducting interviews with the public and various different public meetings and involvement with the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine,” writes Marks. “However, it has become clear that truth and transparency are not wanted by the secretary, but rather he wants a subordinate confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”
Marks is well known among the biopharma industry and regularly spoke at conferences about finding ways to accelerate the development of innovative therapies, particularly for rare diseases. His departure could further shake up the biotech industry that has been overwhelmed over the past few years.
Speaking remotely at the Jeffreys London Healthcare Conference last fall, Marks said he plans to stay as long as he is welcome.
According to Endpoints News, Marks said at the time, “I will stay as long as I am welcoming to stay around,” Marks said. “I think it’s very important for people to see that there’s constant leadership here. We’re here to work with either of the aisles.”
