Operation Warp Speed’s chief adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui has resigned at the request of the incoming Biden team, under a plan that would keep him in the position for a month to help with the transition, according to two people who confessed are with the situation. .
Slaoui’s role in leading vaccine development for the unprecedented government effort is expected to wane after Jan. 20, the people said, who declined to be named because the plan is not yet public. It would end on February 12th.
It’s not clear who will take the scientific lead for the Biden team that will focus on Covid vaccines afterward, or if anyone will be appointed to that role. Two vaccines have already been approved in the US, and three others are in late-stage clinical trials. Jeff Zients will be Biden’s coordinator of the Covid-19 response, while Bechara Choucair will be the Covid-19 vaccine coordinator, focused on accelerating vaccine delivery.
Slaoui’s current contract includes a 30-day notice period for termination, and the Biden team has not asked Slaoui to continue, one of the people said.
Former GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Director Moncef Slaoui, who will serve as lead advisor in the search for a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, speaks as President Donald Trump listens during a coronavirus response in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington .
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Slaoui had previously said he planned to step down after two vaccines and two therapies for Covid-19 hit the market, which happened with the approval of Moderna’s vaccine last month. Last week, he said he “had decided to renew that to ensure that the operation continues to perform as it has been conducted through the transition from administration.” However, he noted that “we are approaching the point where my added value is more limited.”
Although the initial roll-out of vaccines was criticized, the speed of their development, which Slaoui oversaw, exceeded expectations: two vaccines have been approved in the US with 95% efficacy in preventing disease, from Pfizer and Moderna. Johnson & Johnson’s key results on its vaccine, the first to have the potential for just one dose, are expected within weeks. It was the fastest vaccine development in history.
Slaoui was criticized when he took the job for his links to the pharmaceutical industry; he resigned from the Moderna board around the same time that his role was announced. He sold his shares in the company, saying he donated their increase in value during the few days he held them at the helm of Operation Warp Speed.
However, he refused to sell his shares in GlaxoSmithKline, where he spent 30 years overseeing the development of vaccines, calling the stock his retirement.
He was notably criticized by Senator Elizabeth Warren and responded to her in September video message, saying he is a registered Democrat, but “didn’t hesitate” to take the role “because this pandemic is bigger than any of us.”
Slaoui received $ 1,000 for his work as a supervisor of Operation Warp Speed, which he said he intended to donate to scientific research.