The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has appointed Stanford faculty member Dr. George Francis Tidmarsh as the new Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

In his new role, Dr. Tidmarsh will lead the FDA’s efforts to ensure safe, effective, and high-quality drugs are available to the American people.  

He brings with him more than three decades of experience in biotechnology, clinical medicine, and regulatory science. 

Since 2018, Dr. Tidmarsh has served as Adjunct Faculty of Pediatrics and Neonatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. in cancer biology from Stanford, where he also completed residency training in pediatrics and subspecialty training in pediatric oncology and neonatology.  

He has led the successful development of seven FDA-approved drugs and held senior leadership roles in multiple biopharmaceutical companies. He was the founder and CEO of Horizon Pharma, which was acquired by Amgen in 2022 for USD 28 billion.

He also founded Threshold Pharmaceuticals and held key roles at La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, Revelation Biosciences, Solana Therapeutics, Coulter Pharmaceutical (acquired by GSK), and SEQUUS Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson and Johnson).

Dr. Tidmarsh has authored 143 scientific publications and patents. He was the founding co-director of Stanford’s Master of Translational Research and Applied Medicine (M-TRAM) program, which bridges academic research and clinical application by training students and researchers to translate scientific discoveries into real-world medical solutions.

His work spans the full translational pipeline—from discovery through regulatory approval—and he is widely recognized for his ability to bring forward innovative treatments that address serious unmet medical needs. He has also served on advisory boards across academia, government, and industry.

“Dr. Tidmarsh is an accomplished physician-scientist and leader whose experience spans the full arc of drug development—from bench to bedside,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.

“His appointment to lead CDER brings exceptional scientific, regulatory, and operational expertise to the agency. I look forward to working with him to strengthen our drug review programs, foster innovation, and advance cross-agency initiatives that improve health outcomes for the American public,” he added.