Peter Marks joins Eli Lilly, proving the revolving door never stops turning

Another ex-FDA official jumps into bed with Big Pharma. Peter Marks dismissed safety concerns and promoted the products he approved — proof that institutional corruption is rewarded, not punished.

As sure as the sun rises and sets, another senior official has walked out of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and into the arms of Big Pharma.

This time it’s Dr Peter Marks, the FDA’s former vaccine chief, who has taken a lucrative position with Eli Lilly to lead its infectious-disease research division.

Marks’ resignation earlier this year followed a stoush with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the lack of accessible data on vaccine harms. Marks refused to grant access, calling it “an unprecedented assault on scientific truth.”

Days later, he was gone. At the time, I predicted that Marks would not be out of work for long. I was right.

Six months later, he has re-emerged as an executive at one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies — developing the very kinds of products he once regulated.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone.

During his years at the FDA, Marks promoted the products he was meant to scrutinise, cut corners on evidence, downplayed safety concerns, and cultivated cosy ties with industry.

His latest career move confirms what many already suspect. The revolving door between regulators and the companies they oversee, spins on autopilot.