It's not yet been a week since Marty Makary, M.D., was confirmed to lead the FDA as its commissioner. But he's already played a behind-the-scenes role in a controversial decision that has put some in the biopharma industry at odds with the Trump administration.
That's according to reporting from Politico, which details the deliberations that led to the departure of Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., the former leader of the agency's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).
Shortly after a swearing-in ceremony late last week, Makary accepted HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s view that the new administration would push out Marks, who led CBER for nearly a decade, according to Politico. Marks offered his resignation letter on Friday after being given the choice to either step aside or be pushed aside, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
Marks had been targeted by Kennedy and his anti-vaccine allies for his approach to vaccines at CBER, according to Politico. While Kennedy made the final decision to push Marks out, Makary endorsed the move, according to Politico.
In his resignation letter, Marks wrote that he was "willing to work to address the Secretary's concerns regarding vaccine safety and transparency by hearing from the public and implementing a variety of different public meetings and engagements with the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine."
"However, it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies," Marks continued.
The former CBER official wrote that he would serve until April 5, though his profile on the FDA's website has already been taken offline. His departure is one of thousands taking place at federal health agencies under the Trump administration.
Marks' sudden exit drew pushback from the biopharma industry, with Biotechnology Innovation Organization CEO John Crowley saying in a statement his organization is "deeply concerned that the loss of experienced leadership at the FDA will erode scientific standards and broadly impact the development of new, transformative therapies to fight diseases for the American people."
Crowley credited Marks for his "extraordinary leadership" at CBER that has helped usher in a "a new era of scientific breakthroughs."