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George Tidmarsh, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), has resigned amid serious concerns about his personal conduct, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said.Tidmarsh was placed on administrative leave following the Office of the General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General were alerted to the concerns, the spokesperson told Reuters.Appointed in July, Tidmarsh oversaw one of the FDA’s largest divisions, which regulates both prescription and over-the-counter medications."Secretary Kennedy expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals serving under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency," the HHS said.In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, Tidmarsh said he was placed on administrative leave after raising concerns about the legal basis of a new program for the rapid approval of some drugs.Read also: Bayer Lynkuet gets USFDA nod for treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopauseHe is also facing a lawsuit from Canadian drugmaker Aurinia Pharmaceuticals that accuses him of soliciting a bribe and damaging the company's stock with false statements as part of a revenge campaign against a former colleague, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.In September Tidmarsh questioned the safety and clinical benefit of Aurinia's lupus drug, Lupkynis, in a LinkedIn post that was later deleted. Aurinia said the drug is safe and effective, citing data from two major trials and the FDA's full approval in 2021.Read also: Merck gets USFDA priority review for 2 applications for Keytruda, Keytruda Qlex in combo with Padcev for bladder cancerThe departure comes as U.S. health agencies undergo significant leadership changes under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Longtime vaccine official Peter Marks was ousted earlier this year, followed by gene-therapy head Nicole Verdun.Read also: Birds, Lizards, and Broken Protocols: USFDA Slams Hetero Labs Over Filthy Warehouse, Missing Records
