Dont ComplyARPA-H Director Endorsed FDA Hormone Therapy Policy While Holding Stock in Evernow, ProPublica Reports
ProPublica reports that ARPA-H Director Alicia Jackson praised an HHS policy change on hormone therapy warnings while holding at least $115,000 in stock in Evernow, a menopause-treatment company she founded, and she has since been placed on administrative leave.
ProPublica reports that Alicia Jackson, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, praised HHS's removal of black box warnings on hormone replacement therapies at a November press conference. According to her financial disclosures, she held Evernow stock valued between $115,002 and $300,000, plus stock options, in the company she founded. ProPublica says it is unclear what role she played in the policy, which an FDA panel had recommended before she arrived. Ethics experts quoted by ProPublica called her endorsement an "obvious conflict of interest." Her two disclosures remain uncertified. Jackson did not respond to ProPublica's questions. An HHS spokesperson said she was placed on administrative leave and that HHS would "assess the facts." Evernow said Jackson does not currently hold a financial interest in the company.
Why it matters
Federal law bars employees from participating in matters that could affect their personal finances, and uncertified disclosures raise questions about whether ethics rules are being enforced. ARPA-H has a $1.5 billion budget, so potential conflicts of interest could affect public funding decisions.
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