By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Abe Hamadeh urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Martin Makary, to immediately withdraw or indefinitely suspend enforcement actions against desiccated thyroid medications.
This follows explosive allegations of misconduct by former Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Director George Tidmarsh.
Dr. Tidmarsh resigned on November 2, 2025, amid a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) investigation into claims that he abused his regulatory authority to target desiccated thyroid drugs—medications safely used by 1.5 million Americans for decades—in an effort to harm business rival, Kevin Tang.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals filed a lawsuit the same day, alleging Tidmarsh used official FDA resources to “target multiple companies” linked with Tang, including a company where Tang serves as board chairman, American Laboratories, a key supplier of active ingredients for desiccated thyroid drugs.
The timeline raises serious concerns as Tidmarsh assumed leadership of CDER in July 2025, just one month before the FDA issued enforcement warnings against these very medications.
Reports indicate Tidmarsh was placed on administrative leave on November 1st, before resigning the following day.
In Congressman Hamadeh’s first letter, he raised alarms about the FDA’s actions, warning that restrictions could disrupt care for thousands of veterans and seniors in Arizona’s 8th District who rely on these treatments. Although Hamadeh’s office followed up many times, the FDA provided a very generic response to their inquiries.
Now, in a November 4th letter to Commissioner Makary, Congressman Hamadeh demanded immediate action, including:
- Suspension of all enforcement actions against desiccated thyroid drugs initiated on or after July 2025.
- A transparent public and congressional accounting of all regulatory decisions involving thyroid medications, including communications, conflicts of interest, and internal concerns about Dr. Tidmarsh.
- 180-day advance notice to Congress before any future enforcement, with scientific justification and patient impact assessments.
- Guaranteed uninterrupted access for the 1.5 million patients dependent on these medications.
- Substantive responses to his original August inquiries.
“It was clear to me, based on the feedback that I have received from countless constituents, that the FDA’s action against these medications was likely not science-based,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “Given our government’s reaction to COVID-19, it is not hard to imagine that bad actors in our government have personal agendas and no regard for science or our citizens.”
“The FDA’s primary mission should be ensuring drug safety and efficacy, not unnecessarily restricting access to medications with established track records of safety and effectiveness,” concluded Congressman Hamadeh. “The American people expect that FDA regulatory actions be grounded in science and patient safety, not personal scores or abuse of authority.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
