Texas' cancer-fighting agency won approval to spend from House Speaker Joe Straus, left to right, Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. But the three said they were "still concerned about ensuring the accountability of CPRIT before any new grants are awarded." (File/2011)
The state’s top political leaders have authorized Texas’ troubled cancer-fighting agency to recruit 25 new cancer researchers to the state, breaking a funding freeze that’s been in place since December.
Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and House Speaker Joe Straus had called for the freeze after the Travis County District Attorney’s office opened a criminal investigation into the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The investigation was opened following CPRIT’s disclosure that it had awarded $11 million award to Dallas-based Peloton Therapeutics, a biotechnology firm, without the required commercial or scientific reviews.
Earlier this month, CPRIT’s interim executive director, Wayne Roberts, wrote to the three leaders asking to spend $72 million to recruit the researchers. He said his staff had assured that proper procedures were followed when deciding to recruit the scientists.
