Fda And State Sign Agreement For Collaboration

Gov. Mike Beebe and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will secure projects and jobs at the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) near Pine Bluff.

Currently, about 550 workers – including 150 scientists and researchers who hold PhDs – are employed at NCTR.
 
The agreement is the first between the FDA and a state establishing a joint center to enhance regulatory science. According to a release, it sets the framework for joint research, educational training, collaborations and outreach in support of the FDA’s mission to protect and promote public health. Some of that research will be spread across Arkansas’ five research campuses focusing on the toxicity of products and processes of nanotechnology. It also creates a Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science at NCTR.

The memorandum establishes a committee to be co-chaired by NCTR and the state of Arkansas, and includes state government representatives and academic institutions as partners with the FDA.

"This MOU is an important part of modernizing the FDA through the leveraging of intellectual, human and financial resources to better protect and promote public health," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg.

Based in Jefferson, Ark., 40-year old NCTR provides innovative scientific solutions supporting the FDA’s public health mission. It conducts peer-reviewed research and develops unique scientific tools to aid the agency in regulatory decision-making processes. It also provides multidisciplinary training and fosters national and international collaborations with scientists from government, academia and industry worldwide.

"This signing further secures NCTR as one of Arkansas’s top research facilities," Beebe said. "The center has brought scientific leaders from around the world to Arkansas for decades, and we are excited about its continued mission to protect the health of all Americans."