Mon Nov 03 22:53:07 UTC 2025: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FDA Drug Center Head Resigns Amid Ethics Review and Lawsuit

Washington D.C. – November 4, 2025 – Dr. George Tidmarsh, who was appointed to lead the Food and Drug Administration’s drug center in July, abruptly resigned on Sunday, November 2, 2025, after federal officials launched a review of “serious concerns about his personal conduct,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The resignation follows Dr. Tidmarsh’s placement on leave on Friday, prompted by notification of the concerns to the HHS Office of General Counsel. HHS Press Secretary Emily Hilliard stated that Secretary Kennedy expects the “highest ethical standards” from all individuals under his leadership.

The departure coincided with a lawsuit filed by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, alleging that Dr. Tidmarsh used his FDA position to pursue a “longstanding personal vendetta” against Kevin Tang, the company’s board chair. The lawsuit claims that Dr. Tidmarsh, while at the FDA, made “false and defamatory statements” targeting Aurinia, leading to a significant drop in the company’s stock value. The company seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Prior to his FDA appointment, Dr. Tidmarsh founded and led several pharmaceutical companies and served as an adjunct professor at Stanford University. His hiring was initiated after a meeting with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.

This incident marks the latest disruption within the FDA’s leadership, which has experienced a series of personnel changes and controversies in recent months. The FDA’s drug center, the agency’s largest division, has reportedly lost over 1,000 staff members in the past year.

The FDA has not yet commented on the specific nature of the concerns that led to Dr. Tidmarsh’s resignation.

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