Oct 7 (Reuters) - Peter Marks, the former top vaccine

regulator who was ousted from the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration earlier this year, has joined Eli Lilly ( LLY ),

the drugmaker told Reuters on Tuesday.

Marks will oversee molecule discovery and infectious

diseases at Lilly Research Laboratories.

"Peter's expertise strengthens our abilities across multiple

areas, both in our existing portfolio and in our work in

emerging areas," the company told Reuters.

Marks, who played a key role in U.S. President Donald

Trump's first term in developing COVID-19 vaccines, resigned in

March after being forced out by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.

Shares of U.S. drugmakers fell, when reports on Marks'

ouster from the FDA first came out.

As director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation

and Research, Marks had publicly supported programs that

expedited the development of rare disease treatments and gene

therapies during his tenure.

STAT News first reported on the development.