FDA Official Peter Marks Resigns Over Vaccine Policy Disputes
Marks' resignation, effective April 5, follows clashes with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine misinformation and public health priorities.
- Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has resigned after being pressured to step down by Trump administration officials.
- Marks criticized HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for undermining vaccine confidence and promoting misinformation, calling it a danger to public health and safety.
- Industry leaders and public health experts have expressed alarm, warning that Marks' departure could weaken FDA leadership and erode scientific standards.
- Marks, a key figure in Operation Warp Speed and the approval of 22 gene therapies, was widely praised for his contributions to regulatory innovation and public health.
- His resignation comes as vaccine skepticism and declining vaccination rates fuel concerns about public health, highlighted by a recent measles outbreak in the U.S.