Leaked Memo From Pharma Trade Org Details Plot To Oust RFK As HHS Secretary
Updated
An apparent leaked memo from a trade association meeting details a plot against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., planned by major pharmaceutical companies in an April meeting. Dr. James Lyons-Weiler published the memo and an op-ed on his Popular Rationalism Substack and the Brownstone Institute. The document has not been independently authenticated or verified.
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is the name of the group, which includes membership from dozens of large pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Merck, Novavax, and Vaxcyte. The notes call upon industry allies to lobby in DC and tell political representatives it is “time for RFK to go.”
The notes suggest that FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz could be friendly voices for the industry to counter Kennedy’s alleged “threat to vaccines and public health.” The document states, “FDA needs to stay strong. Bio priority to work with Commissioner Makary to replace lost talent; modernize FDA; communicate big picture implications regarding vaccine access.”
At the time of the memo in April, investors were reportedly waiting 6-9 months to see how the administration handles regulatory guidelines that could impact the growth of pharmaceutical companies. The notes say there is “no opportunity to raise capital in the current environment” and “vaccine pathway to approval is unpredictable and politicized. BIO said Kennedy is “moving the goal post on vaccines” and that they need to communicate with the Trump administration with “their words,” including “safety, efficiency, health resilience, transparency.”
Dr. Lyons-Weiler said the pharma trade group is attempting to shift the framing as a form of “narrative laundering” and “rhetorical mimicry.” He said efficiency actually means fewer safety requirements, resilience means “consumer obedience,” and transparency means “secretive PR-managed theater, not data disclosure.”
Dr. Lyons-Weiler stressed that his comments about the internal leaked memo are provisional and are based on the assumption that the document is valid. He alleges that pharmaceutical companies are using language to imply an intent for biomedical reform, but are actually ensuring that no structural reforms take place.
In addition to the stated goal of utilizing Dr. Makary and Dr. Oz as potential pharma-surrogates within the Trump administration, BIO states its intention to garner the support of conservative politicians, influencers, and groups. It specifically names the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank that has supported products like the mRNA vaccines and the concept of free market innovation.
The leaked memo focuses primarily on vaccine messaging and strategies with a stated goal of “protecting continuity and viability of vaccine business.” It states that BIO supports change, but only if there is business continuity and the core mission of institutions is protected.
The document includes a section dedicated to Scott Gottlieb, a Senior Fellow at AEI, a board member at Pfizer, and the former FDA Commissioner under President Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021. The HighWire has reported on Gottlieb’s immediate transition into a board member role with Pfizer after completing his term as FDA commissioner, including his involvement in the Twitter Files, which allegedly encouraged the suppression of vaccine-skeptical information during the COVID-19 vaccine campaign.
“MAHA movement is a cover for an anti-vaccine campaign,” the document says in quotes under the section titled “Scott Gottlieb.” Before joining forces with Trump during the election campaign, Kennedy criticized Trump for appointing Gottlieb to the FDA and stated that Gottlieb had allegedly helped Pfizer earn $88 billion from a single vaccine.
The document suggests that a rift may occur between Kennedy and President Trump, although it expresses skepticism because the MAHA movement also addresses non-vaccine issues, such as food safety. Another section states that Trump owed Kennedy for supporting him, but that loyalty may or may not last.
BIO is committed to spending $2 million of its $4 million cash reserve on a pro-vaccine campaign called WhyWeVaccinate. Dr. Lyons-Weiler said, “This is no ordinary PR push. It is a multi-pronged campaign designed to deceive the public, silence dissent, and preserve industry dominance through influence operations masquerading as science.”
This “creative communication campaign” needs to both “inspire and frighten” legislators, influencers, conservative constituents, and unions, according to the document.
Dr. Lions-Weiler said that if the memo is genuine, it aligns with other “suppression architectures” within the pharmaceutical and health policy sectors. He said some examples are “ESG-based financial pressure on corporations to support mandates, WHO treaty harmonization that threatens sovereign health policy, and social media and AI systems that algorithmically suppress dissent.”
Dr. Lions-Weiler points to September as a target for BIO in an attempt to “preempt Kennedy’s messaging before he dominates the fall discourse with facts, reform principles, and the moral clarity of a movement demanding consent.”
The document doesn’t mention September specifically, but that is when Congress returns to full session. The document expresses concern that investors are waiting 6-9 months to see how regulatory changes will impact the financial earnings of the industry. The meeting was held on April 3, so the beginning of October is when investors may reconsider investing in pharmaceutical innovations, according to the leaked BIO memo.