A&M Wins Big Federal Biodefense Contract
COLLEGE STATION (CBSDFW.COM/AP) -- The Texas A&M University System has been awarded one of three national biodefense contracts to help the country quickly develop vaccines in the event of a pandemic, and also strategies for responding to bioterrorism.
The contract was announced Monday by A&M System Chancellor John Sharp and federal health officials.
Texas A&M's five-year contract is worth $176 million and can be renewed for up to 25 years. The school will partner with GlaxoSmithKline and Kalon Biotherapeutics. Kalon is a private company founded by A&M.
A second center, led by Emergent Manufacturing Operations Baltimore LLC, will be based in Maryland and partner with Michigan State University, Kettering University in Michigan and the University of Maryland-Baltimore.
The third center will be based in North Carolina, and will be led by Novartis, and will work with North Carolina State University and Duke University.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS Local. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.)
