FDA appoints Richard Pazdur as director of CDER

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that Dr Richard Pazdur, has been appointed director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Dr Pazdur is a 26-year veteran of the FDA and the founding director of its Oncology Center of Excellence.

His appointment comes about a week after the resignation of George Tidmarsh, who served as the CDER's director for less than four months before leaving the role following a controversial social media post.

Dr Tidmarsh’s exit added to a string of senior resignations across US health agencies under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership. Recent departures include Jeanne Marrazzo, who alleged retaliation after a whistleblower complaint, former FDA vaccines chief Peter Marks, and Susan Monarez, who left the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a brief tenure as director.