Texas is the next expansion state for the development of flu vaccines, thanks to a $91 million federally-funded program.
GlaxoSmithKline will use the facility at Texas A&M to work on the next generation of flu vaccines, based on a trademarked proprietary cell-culture line instead of using fertilized chicken eggs.
Gov. Rick Perry hosted the event at his alma mater, where the federally-funded manufacturing facility was announced as the anchor for the Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing.
GSK Senior Vice President Antoon Loomans called the partnership an "unprecedented public-private collaboration to protect against pandemics and bio-threats."
Perry said the Center is expected to bring more than $41 billion to the state over the next 25 years and add more than 6,800 Texas jobs. He added that his hope is that the partnership will be an important catalyst to the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in Texas.
In a related story, a report released this week by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America highlighted Texas as a leader in clinical trials.
The report said Texas has been a leader in biopharmaceutical studies in collaboration with the state’s clinical research centers, university medical schools and hospitals for the last 13 years.
