Former FDA chief Cavazzoni returns to Pfizer as CMO

USA – Pfizer has appointed Patricia Cavazzoni, former head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Cavazzoni, who resigned shortly before Donald Trump’s expected return to the presidency, is rejoining Pfizer, where she previously worked before moving to the FDA in 2018.

Her appointment has reignited concerns about the “revolving door” between federal regulators and the pharmaceutical industry.

A British Medical Journal (BMJ) report from May 2024 found that nine of the last ten FDA commissioners later joined drug companies or their boards.

Critics argue that this pattern undermines public trust in the agency’s ability to regulate independently.

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen condemned the move, with Dr. Robert Steinbrook stating, “The revolving door between the FDA and the industries it regulates is alive and well and continues to undermine the FDA’s credibility as a public health agency.”

Pfizer defended its decision, highlighting Cavazzoni’s 25 years of experience in clinical development, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, and R&D strategy.

She will oversee regulatory compliance, safety, epidemiology, and medical evidence generation, reporting to Pfizer’s R&D chief, Chris Boshoff. She replaces Aida Habtezion, who is leaving the company.

Public health expert Vinay Prasad, a UCSF researcher, called Cavazzoni’s transition “the core rot in American regulation” and argued that such career moves “should be criminal.”

Meanwhile, new Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle conflicts of interest in federal agencies, stating his intent to identify and block potential regulatory biases.