Operation Warp Speed Chief Counsel, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, presented his resignation at the request of Biden’s new team, under a plan that would have him in office for a month to help with the transition, according to two people familiar with the situation .
Slaoui’s role in leading vaccine development for the unprecedented government effort is expected to diminish after Jan. 20, people said, who declined to be identified because the plan was not yet public. It would end on February 12.
It is unclear who will take the scientific leadership of the Biden team focused on Covid vaccines after that, or whether anyone will be appointed to that role. There are already two vaccines authorized in the United States, with three more in clinical trials in the final stage. Jeff Zients is Biden’s coordinator for the Covid-19 response, while Bechara Choucair will be the Covid-19 vaccine coordinator, with a focus on accelerating vaccine delivery.
Slaoui’s current contract includes 30 days notice prior to termination, and Biden’s team did not ask Slaoui to go further, one person said.
Former GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui, who will serve as chief advisor in the effort to find a coronavirus pandemic vaccine (COVID-19), speaks while President Donald Trump listens during a coronavirus disease response event at 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 last month with the release of Moderna’s vaccine. Last week, he said he “decided to extend this in order to ensure that the operation continues to work the way it has done during the transition from administration”. He noted, however, that “we are getting close to the point where my added value is more limited”.
Although the initial launch of the vaccine was criticized, the speed of its development, which Slaoui supervised, exceeded expectations: two vaccines were authorized in the USA with 95% effectiveness in preventing diseases, from Pfizer and Moderna. The essential results of Johnson & Johnson in its vaccine, the first with the potential for just one dose, are expected within weeks. It was the fastest vaccine development in history.
Slaoui was criticized when he took office because of his ties to the pharmaceutical industry; he resigned from Moderna’s board at the same time his position was announced. He sold his shares in the company and said he donated their appreciation during the few days he kept them in charge of Operation Warp Speed.
He refused, however, to sell his shares on GlaxoSmithKline, where he spent 30 years overseeing vaccine development, calling for his retirement shares.
He was criticized in particular by Senator Elizabeth Warren, and responded to it in September in a video message, saying he is a registered Democrat, but “did not hesitate” to take on the role “because this pandemic is bigger than any of us.”
Slaoui received $ 1,000 for his oversight of Operation Warp Speed, which he said he planned to donate to scientific research.