Pa. cancer ctrs. seek tobacco dollars

Seven institutions, including Penn, want part of the state's share of a proposed tobacco deal for research. Pennsylvania is poised to reap billions of dollars under the terms of a proposed settlement between at least eight states and the nation's largest tobacco companies, and the state's largest cancer research centers want a piece of the pie. At a press conference on Monday, the seven institutions -- including Penn's Cancer Center, the Wistar Institute and three other Philadelphia-area research centers -- proposed that 25 percent of Pennsylvania's settlement share go toward cancer research. Under the present settlement terms, Pennsylvania stands to receive about $11.6 billion from a total $206 billion settlement. The proposed research share would amount to about $2.9 billion. "The basis of the [settlement] was the health care costs incurred as a result of tobacco," said Russ Molloy, an associate executive vice president at the Penn Health System. "I think that cancer research is where that money should go." Molloy said the 25 percent figure reflects the amount that the centers feel could be put to immediate use without developing further infrastructure. Temple Cancer Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center are the other Philadelphia-area institutions. The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State's Geisenger Center also joined the proposal. "We've appreciated the support of the health providers and researchers in our suit," said Sean Connolly, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher. "If there were a monetary recovery they would likely benefit." The final decision about disbursement rests with the Republican-controlled state legislature and GOP Governor Tom Ridge. But Molloy said he doesn't think the state will ignore cancer centers as it slices up the settlement pie. He pointed to "encouraging" statements by Ridge suggesting that all of the settlement should be focused on health-related issues. A formula for dividing any allocated funds among the centers is under discussion. One possibility would split the money in proportion to the amount of federal research funding each center currently receives. The rigorous peer-review process used by the National Cancer Institute to allocate federal funding is highly regarded, and the total amount received by an institution is generally seen as an accurate reflection of the institution's quality. While Pennsylvania would not use the federal allocations model, Molloy said that the centers are looking at alternate systems for ensuring that the money is put to good use. One possible model is California, which has developed a peer-review process to control disbursements to researchers of funds collected under a state cigarette tax. But Molloy emphasized that the focus is on research, not red tape. "The idea here is to get [the money] into conducting the research as quickly as possible," Molloy said. There is an important condition to the seven centers' plans -- the money in question does not exist yet, and may never. As of yesterday, eight states had agreed to settle: Pennsylvania, California, New York, Washington, North Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma and North Dakota. The four parties in the deal -- Phillip Morris, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Brown and Williamson Tobacco and Lorillard Tobacco -- have said they will settle only if a larger number of states agree. At issue is the companies' vulnerability to further lawsuits from other states. Thirty-nine states are currently involved in litigation with tobacco companies, including the eight that have agreed to settle. Another seven states not presently suing are also eligible to join the settlement. If others do not join, the settlement amount could be cut or the deal could fall through altogether.