News Release

COLLEGE STATION, Feb. 20, 2008 — Texas A&M University officials have reached financial agreement with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of $1 million, underscoring their desire to resume conducting potentially life-saving vaccine and therapeutic research. The agreement includes acceptance of responsibility for lapses following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) procedures, while also signaling confidence that the issues have been addressed.
           
Texas A&M President Elsa Murano said Wednesday she “proposed the large agreement in hopes the matter can be resolved quickly so that the university can resume carrying out its vaccine and related research and, in the process, set new standards nationally for safety and accountability in this area of study.”
           
“We are 100 percent committed to transparency in how we conduct research at Texas A&M, and we are committed to ensuring the maximum degree of safety and security of all personnel involved in such endeavors, just as we are totally committed to the overall safety of everyone—students, faculty, staff and any others—on our campus,” emphasized Dr. Murano, who assumed the Texas A&M presidency last month.
          
“Our vaccine and therapeutic research, although relatively small in terms of actual dollars, representing less than 1 percent of our $570 million in annual research expenditures, is, nonetheless, a significant and critical part of our efforts to protect the citizens of our community, state and nation from those who may choose to do us harm,” Dr. Murano added.

Although not involved in any of the related vaccine and therapeutic research or the earlier CDC responses, Dr. Murano has conducted extensive research in food safety and is considered by colleagues as a noted expert in following prescribed federal guidelines and procedures, as evidenced by her previous role as undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   
           
She said that OIG has accepted the agreement in response to a reporting error infraction and other concerns outlined in the CDC review. With the $1 million agreement, coupled with optimism that CDC officials will concur, the university now has proper safety and reporting procedures in place. Dr. Murano said she looks forward to the resumption of the vital public health and safety-related research at the earliest possible time.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has scheduled a telephonic board meeting on Feb. 26, at which time the proposed agreement is expected to be presented and acted upon.
           
Funds to pay the proposed agreement will be derived from funds allocated for research compliance, Dr. Murano said, underscoring that no state general revenue nor any monies derived from student tuition or fees will be used.
           
University actions taken as a result of internal reviews and CDC findings include enhanced staffing and oversight of the laboratory facilities, extensive training of personnel conducting the research, more stringent procedures for gaining access to the labs, strengthened reporting procedures and the establishment of a mechanism for external experts to conduct periodic unscheduled inspections. 
           
CDC officials have indicated they will make a follow-up visit to the Texas A&M campus in early March.

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Contact: Jason Cook, Vice President for Marketing & Communications, (979) 845-2217 or email: jason.cook@tamu.edu.
Web address: www.tamu.edu/vaccineresearch