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Surprise, Surprise: Look Where Birx Just Landed a New Job

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  July 24, 2023 4:30 PM

In a bombshell video exposé released by Project Veritas earlier this year, a Pfizer director of research and development spoke openly about the "revolving door" between government and pharmaceutical companies—an arrangement that's "pretty good for the industry but bad for everyone else in America." 

When asked to clarify, he told the undercover PV journalist, "Because if the regulators, who review our drugs, you know that once they stop being a regulator, they want to go work for the company, they are not going to be as harsh on the company where they're getting their job."

One look at where former top officials went after leaving the government confirms this.

Former FDA commissioner Mark McClellan went over to Johnson & Johnson, another former FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, is now at Pfizer, while former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn is currently in a chief medical officer role at Flagship Pioneering, the investor behind Moderna. And these are just a few examples. 

Most recently, former White House COVID adviser Dr. Deborah Birx, who worked in the federal government for decades, has been added to this "revolving door" list. 

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Earlier this month, Birx was appointed CEO of Armata Pharmaceuticals, a California-based biotech company focused on the development of bacteriophage therapeutics that help treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

"I am thrilled to join Armata at this pivotal time in the Company's development," Birx said in a statement. "I'm impressed with the scientific platform's quality and the team's commitment to introducing innovative treatment options for patients suffering from serious bacterial infections. I am excited about the recent advances and see multiple opportunities to accelerate the Company's progress and drive value creation. The recent investment enables the advancement of AP‐PA02 and AP‐SA02 in Phase 2 clinical trials."