Overview
- An HHS spokesperson said Tidmarsh resigned Sunday effective immediately, two days after he was placed on leave over "serious" personal-conduct concerns reported to the agency’s watchdog offices.
- Aurinia Pharmaceuticals filed a federal suit in Maryland alleging defamation, injurious falsehood and solicitation of a bribe tied to Tidmarsh’s actions toward the company and its board chair, Kevin Tang.
- The complaint centers on a September LinkedIn post in which Tidmarsh questioned the clinical benefit of Aurinia’s lupus nephritis drug; the post was later deleted and the company says it precipitated a roughly 20% stock drop exceeding $350 million.
- Tidmarsh denies wrongdoing and contends his removal was retaliation for challenging the legality of a new expedited drug-review initiative at the FDA.
- His departure adds to leadership churn at U.S. health agencies and leaves the FDA’s drug center, the agency’s largest division, without a director during an ethics review.