CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
Director of U.S. agency key to vaccine development leaves role suddenly amid coronavirus pandemic
By NICHOLAS FLORKO APRIL 21, 2020
Rick BrightHHS
WASHINGTON — Rick Bright, one of the nation’s leading vaccine development experts and the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is no longer leading the organization, officials told STAT.
The shakeup at the agency, known as BARDA, couldn’t come at a more inopportune time for the office, which invests in drugs, devices, and other technologies that help address infectious disease outbreaks and which has been at the center of the government’s coronavirus pandemic response.
Bright, whose departure was confirmed by three industry sources and two current Trump administration sources, will instead move into a narrower role at the National Institutes of Health. Gary Disbrow, Bright’s former deputy at BARDA, will serve as the acting director of the office, an HHS spokesperson confirmed to STAT.
BARDA was expected to play an even larger role in the coming months; Congress more than tripled BARDA’s budget in the most recent coronavirus stimulus package. Already, the office has a role in some of the splashiest Covid-19 projects, including partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Therapeutics, both of which are developing potential Covid-19 treatments.
BARDA has been plagued with management issues virtually since its creation in 2006, with much of the criticism aimed at a contracting department that some say is unresponsive to industry partners. The office has only had two permanent directors since its creation in 2006. Bright has led the organization since 2016.
The BARDA director position is not a Senate-confirmed position. It reports directly to the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
None of the sources articulated the reason for Bright’s departure, though several mentioned recent chafing between Bright and Bob Kadlec, the current HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed that Bright will begin working out of NIH. An NIH spokesperson later clarified that Bright will work on diagnostics.
“Dr. Rick Bright will transfer the skills he has applied as Director of the [BARDA] to the [NIH]. … Dr. Bright brings extensive experience and expertise in facilitating powerful public-private partnerships that advance the health and well-being of the American people,” the HHS spokesperson said.
Bright did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bright’s career has largely centered around vaccine and drug development. His work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on influenza viruses, antiviral drugs and tests. He has also worked in the biotechnology industry and served as an advisor to the World Health Organization. Before becoming BARDA director, he led the agency’s Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division.
Lev Facher contributed reporting.
Correction: An earlier version of this story suggested Bright would oversee an NIH public-private partnership; An NIH spokeswoman later said he will not be involved with that effort.
About the Author
Nicholas Florko
Washington correspondent
Nicholas Florko is a Washington correspondent for STAT, reporting on the the intersection of politics and health policy. He is the author the newsletter "D.C. Diagnosis."
nicholas.florko@statnews.com
@NicholasFlorko
COMMENTS
WASHINGTON — Rick Bright, one of the nation’s leading vaccine development experts and the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is no longer leading the organization, officials told STAT.
The shakeup at the agency, known as BARDA, couldn’t come at a more inopportune time for the office, which invests in drugs, devices, and other technologies that help address infectious disease outbreaks and which has been at the center of the government’s coronavirus pandemic response.
Bright, whose departure was confirmed by three industry sources and two current Trump administration sources, will instead move into a narrower role at the National Institutes of Health. Gary Disbrow, Bright’s former deputy at BARDA, will serve as the acting director of the office, an HHS spokesperson confirmed to STAT.
BARDA was expected to play an even larger role in the coming months; Congress more than tripled BARDA’s budget in the most recent coronavirus stimulus package. Already, the office has a role in some of the splashiest Covid-19 projects, including partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Therapeutics, both of which are developing potential Covid-19 treatments.
BARDA has been plagued with management issues virtually since its creation in 2006, with much of the criticism aimed at a contracting department that some say is unresponsive to industry partners. The office has only had two permanent directors since its creation in 2006. Bright has led the organization since 2016.
The BARDA director position is not a Senate-confirmed position. It reports directly to the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
None of the sources articulated the reason for Bright’s departure, though several mentioned recent chafing between Bright and Bob Kadlec, the current HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed that Bright will begin working out of NIH. An NIH spokesperson later clarified that Bright will work on diagnostics.
“Dr. Rick Bright will transfer the skills he has applied as Director of the [BARDA] to the [NIH]. … Dr. Bright brings extensive experience and expertise in facilitating powerful public-private partnerships that advance the health and well-being of the American people,” the HHS spokesperson said.
Bright did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bright’s career has largely centered around vaccine and drug development. His work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on influenza viruses, antiviral drugs and tests. He has also worked in the biotechnology industry and served as an advisor to the World Health Organization. Before becoming BARDA director, he led the agency’s Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division.
Lev Facher contributed reporting.
Correction: An earlier version of this story suggested Bright would oversee an NIH public-private partnership; An NIH spokeswoman later said he will not be involved with that effort.
About the Author
Nicholas Florko
Washington correspondent
Nicholas Florko is a Washington correspondent for STAT, reporting on the the intersection of politics and health policy. He is the author the newsletter "D.C. Diagnosis."
nicholas.florko@statnews.com
@NicholasFlorko
COMMENTS
I thought he had such a bright future at the agency
Michael Welch
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 4:05 PM
I’m sure Andy Slavitt will have something to say about this on Twitter.
Maya Ayala
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:54 PM
It would be nice if the federal government funded research at universities — both funding programs and especially scholarships for post-graduate research students. Such funding should be contingent upon the university not retaining a patent on those findings. The feds should make that information available for ALL companies to develop treatments for medical purposes.
Jim Croft
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:49 PM
So a good civil servant is a wasteful one. Was Edison or Salk greedy ?
Congress couldn’t oversight a lemonade stand let alone something complicated like keeping liter off the streets.
Penn Gwinn
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:41 PM
“splashiest Covid-19 projects, including partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Therapeutics, ”
Maybe BARDA should invest in University research projects that aren’t so interested in profits, but in learning, research and finding a solution to the problem without profit in mind.
Tim Cole
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:35 PM
I hate to see a good civil servant sidelined by Bob Kadlec’s insatiable greed. Where the hell is the Congressional oversight?
Tony
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 4:15 PM
. . . absent . . . I am getting the feeling that the American people have allowed our complacency to be abused by “our elected servants” and those “servants” know it . . .
Michael Welch
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 4:05 PM
I’m sure Andy Slavitt will have something to say about this on Twitter.
Maya Ayala
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:54 PM
It would be nice if the federal government funded research at universities — both funding programs and especially scholarships for post-graduate research students. Such funding should be contingent upon the university not retaining a patent on those findings. The feds should make that information available for ALL companies to develop treatments for medical purposes.
Jim Croft
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:49 PM
So a good civil servant is a wasteful one. Was Edison or Salk greedy ?
Congress couldn’t oversight a lemonade stand let alone something complicated like keeping liter off the streets.
Penn Gwinn
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:41 PM
“splashiest Covid-19 projects, including partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Therapeutics, ”
Maybe BARDA should invest in University research projects that aren’t so interested in profits, but in learning, research and finding a solution to the problem without profit in mind.
Tim Cole
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 3:35 PM
I hate to see a good civil servant sidelined by Bob Kadlec’s insatiable greed. Where the hell is the Congressional oversight?
Tony
APRIL 21, 2020 AT 4:15 PM
. . . absent . . . I am getting the feeling that the American people have allowed our complacency to be abused by “our elected servants” and those “servants” know it . . .
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