Hervé Maisonneuve resigns from Santé publique France integrity role

Hervé Maisonneuve has resigned from his position as the scientific integrity officer at Santé publique France. The national health agency accepted his resignation on Thursday, stating that the conditions required for him to continue in his role were no longer met.

The resignation follows reports that Maisonneuve failed to fully disclose financial ties to the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in his official interest declarations. Investigations by Le Monde revealed that Pfizer paid more than 100,000 euros to Maisonneuve’s consulting firm between 2021 and 2023. Maisonneuve acknowledged the omission, stating he had ‘forgotten’ and was working to update his declarations to include all clients.

While the payments themselves are not proof that Pfizer influenced decisions made by Santé publique France, the lack of transparency has raised concerns regarding the credibility of the integrity officer role, which is tasked with overseeing ethical standards and combating disinformation. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist has called on the agency’s interim director, Etienne Pot, to take swift action to address the situation and protect public trust.