STAT+: After hiring of a former top FDA official, Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer isn’t fazed by revolving doors

As far as Eli Lilly’s Dan Skovronsky is concerned, the revolving door can spin in a good direction.

The drugmaker last week hired Peter Marks, a former top U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, and the move quickly sparked a fresh round of concern about conflicts of interest between the agency and industry, as well as about public trust. To wit, might the hiring provide Lilly with an unfair advantage? And do such offers somehow compromise decision-making at the FDA?

Skovronsky, the company’s chief scientific officer, not surprisingly, sees it differently. In his view, the criticism is understandable, but to block officials who have served the public from joining industry would limit them from potentially making useful contributions to society going forward. And this is particularly true when it comes to developing beneficial medicines.