ARA and FDA sign partnership

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. and Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) president and CEO Jerry Adams signed a partnership agreement that is intended to spur on economic growth opportunities for Arkansas businesses.

The agreement was inked on Monday (Sept. 9) at an event hosted by Gov. Mike Beebe in Little Rock and is seen as a good faith effort for state and federal agencies seeking collaboration on common issues like economic growth.

FDA is entering into an agreement with ARA to provide technology-related assistance to Arkansas-based research institutions and to identify agency-developed technology that may be potential candidates for commercialization.

The FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson will administer the program, according to the release.
 
“Being in a position to help FDA with technology transfer efforts accelerates our effort to strengthen economic development locally, nationally and globally. This is an innovative agreement with wide-reaching potential for all partners involved,” Adams said in the release.
 
The ability to strengthen economic development opportunities was central to framing the agreement, the release notes.