Top FDA Drug Regulator Returns to Pfizer: The Revolving Door Must End
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the former director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is rejoining Pfizer as chief medical officer, the company announced. Cavazzoni moved to the FDA from Pfizer in 2018. She resigned from the FDA in January 2025 before the second Trump Administration.
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group Director Dr. Robert Steinbrook issued the following statement:
“Patrizia Cavazonni left Pfizer in 2018 to work at the FDA, so her return to Pfizer after leaving the FDA is totally unsurprising.
“Cavazonni’s move demonstrates that 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.
“The FDA should prioritize the recruitment of high-ranking officials who have no industry ties and who make a commitment not to leave the agency for industry jobs.”