Top FDA officials move their job to Philip Morris International

Two top US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials recently left and were appointed to top positions at tobacco multinational Philip Morris International. Their departure from the public sector and recruitment to the private sector occurred over the summer and followed the appointment at Philip Morris of the first FDA official to leave and make the same move last May. FDA chief of staff Keegan Lenihan in May became vice president of government affairs and public policy at Philip Morris.

First, Matt Holman left the FDA in June as director of science for the tobacco products center and was announced to be hired at Philip Morris without specifying his role. It has now been announced that Matt Holman has been appointed to the first multinational tobacco company from vice president for scientific engagement and regulatory strategy. In August, it was announced that Bandrul Choudhary left the FDA where he was director of pulmonary, allergy and rheumatology products at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and was appointed to the post of life sciences chief of smokeless products at Philip Morris.