Moncef Slaoui, a former GlaxoSmithKline executive, speaks with President Donald J. Trump during a vaccine development event at the White House Rose Garden on Friday, May 15, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images
Moncef Slaoui, who led efforts to develop vaccination against Covid under the Trump administration, said Wednesday that he felt “deeply sorry” for a woman’s sexual harassment claim that led to her dismissal earlier in the day as to president of a company with the support of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.
Slaoui also said he is stepping down from roles in other healthcare companies and a venture capital firm to focus on his family, to whom he also apologized.
Slaoui, who spent 30 years at GSK, was chief scientist of Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government’s project to develop vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, GSK said its board had fired the 61-year-old as president of Galvani Bioelectronics over “confirmed” allegations that he sexually harassed her and misbehaved with a GSK employee several years ago. . GSK is the majority shareholder in Galvani.
The woman had filed the allegations in a letter sent to GSK in February. A law firm hired by the pharmaceutical company, Morgan, Lewis & Bokius, continues to investigate their claims.
Slaoui, in his statement on Wednesday afternoon, said: “It is with deep regret that I acknowledge today’s statement from GlaxoSmithKline plc about my resignation as chairman of Galvani’s board of directors.”
“I have the utmost respect for my colleagues and I feel terrible that my actions have put a former colleague in an awkward situation. I would like to apologize unreservedly to the employee in question and I deeply feel any distress caused,” he said. to say.
“I would also like to apologize to my wife and family for the pain this causes,” Slaoui said.
“I will work hard to redeem myself with all those affected by this situation,” he said.
Slaoiui is married to Kristen Slaoui, who was previously vice president and head of business development at GSK.
GSK had issued a conviction on Slaoui in announcing his cessation of Galvani.
“Dr. Slaoui’s behaviors are totally unacceptable,” wrote GSK, which removes Slaoui’s name from the vaccine research center in Rockville, Maryland.
The company also said Slaoui’s actions “represent an abuse of his leadership position, violate company policies and run counter to the strong values that define GSK’s culture.”
“The company expects everyone at GSK to behave in accordance with its values, especially its leaders where its standards are the highest.”
GSK CEO Emma Walmsley, in a separate letter to employees, said she was “shocked and angry about all this, but I am determined”.
“I want to be clear that sexual harassment is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated,” Walmsley wrote.
“Protecting the woman who showed up and her privacy has been a top priority all this time. This will continue,” Walmsley wrote. “I respect and admire his courage and strength. I’ve spent a lot of nights putting myself in his shoes lately. More than anything, that just shouldn’t have happened.”
Galvani is a medical research company focused on the development of bioelectronic drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases. It was formed through an association of GSK and Verily Life Sciences, formerly known as Google Life Sciences. Verily is a subsidiary of Google Alphabet.
Slaoui joined Centessa Pharmaceuticals last month as scientific director and advisor.
Centessa was founded by venture capital firm Medicxi. Slaoui has been a member of Medicxi since 2017.
Slaoui is also chairman of the board of the Vaxcyte vaccine company.
A GSK spokeswoman, when asked if the company would share the details of its investigation into Slaoui with other companies to which it is affiliated, said: “We do not share anything beyond what we have said publicly at this time.”