RJ Reynolds
Corporate Support for Biomedical Research.
Fields
- Type
- LETTER
- Referenced Document
- 1964 (640000) Surgeon General's Report, 640000.
- Copied
- Wilson, J.T.
- Butler, A.L. Jr
- Cudd, H.H.
- Kreps, J.M.
- Landis, R.G.
- Wilson, M.S.
- Bacon, J.L.
- Sustana, R.
- Abely, J.F. Jr
- Durden, D.
- Recipient
- Sticht, J.P.
- Date Loaded
- 07 Jan 1999
- Request
- Cordova
- 1rfp29
- 1rfp4
- Minnesota
- Texas
- Initial
- Disclosure
- Box
- Rjr3370
- Litigation
- Minnesota Selected
- Site
- Law
- Roemer Hc Jr
- Special Counsel
- Named Person
- Surgeon General
- Roemer, J.
- Seitz, F.
- Roemer, H.C.
- Jacob, E.J.
- Ctr
- Rjri
- Rjr
- Tirc
- Author
- Hobbs, W.D.
- UCSF Legacy ID
- oyn75d00
Document Images
Subject: Corporate Support for
Biomedical Research
To: Mr. J. Paul Sticht
Oate; June 12, 1980
The assig-nment to look at all of the biomedical research_
supported by RJR funds has been completed. Contributions
supporting biomedical research are presently being made indepen-
dently by the- Tobacco Company a-nd by, Industries.,
The Tobacco Company's invoZvement with biomedical
rese-arch bega-n in 1954 ten ye_ars prior to the 1964 Surgeon
Ge-neral's report. Since then-more than $58 million has been
channeled into a11 aspects of tobacco use and h-uman health by the
companies which compxise-the tobacco industry. The industry
prog.ram was begun thro-ugh the Tobacco Industry Research
Committee-; which was-l.ater reorganized as the Council for Tobacco
Research (CTR).
.. . . ,.
The objective of industry-sponsored -research has related
directly to -smoking and= health and has provided an extensi-ve body
of scientifically, well-gro-unded data in an continuing, effort- to
answer the questions that hav.e been raised about tobacco and
health. R._J. Re-ynolds Tobacco Company,. as a supporting member of
CTR, has mana-ged this involvement by the company since- its
inception and has provided the largest single share of supporting
funds.
In 1978, R.J. Reynolds Industries decided to
substantially increase overall support of worthwhile biomedical
research. Unlike the CTR program, where supported programs
looked at links between smoking and various diseases, the
Industries-sponsored research was aimed ultimately at the
mechanisms by which deg-e-nerative diseases afflict man. The
purpose stated at the time was three-fold:,

-2-
To discharge an obligation of corporate
citizenship.
Esta blish credibility in the
community.
scientific
prevention and cure of
the
diseasestforowh
ich tobacco,.products have
been blamed.
Within the past several years, the company's efforts to
publi_cize its contributions to biomedical research have with few
exceptions been limited to i.nternal employee publication
s.
Withi
n the context of employee publications, Tobacco Company
support of research through the CTR has not been differentiated
from that -spo~ssor-ed sole.ly, by R.J. Reynolds Industries. As a
o
conseguen~e, a sharp delineation of the objectives of the tw
eff orts has not been drawn.
/When ahe- two efforts are consider,ed .separately, the
objectives and gflals of the research sponsored by the tobacco
ind-ustry as a whole thr-ough CTR is business related, a-nd -can be
. . . . . ...
fully ju-s-tified- on the basis of the support it provides for
defending the tobacco industry against fundamental att.acks--on its
business. The procedures-within the Tobacco Company for h.a.ndling
b n h ug T d monitoring progress are well
establshedandreq-uireno~modif ication.
, . ,.. ..,
Indus_trie-s-sponsore.d biomedical research has been handled
by Jack Roemer, outside the purview of the Corporate Contribu-
tions Committee-, with the advice and counsel of a scientific-
. .. . . . . .. . ..... ..
ad.visory panel hea.ded by Dr. Frederick Seitz. At one -time the
format-ion of a biomedi.cal research foundation was considered and
i
rejected and the present system cont nues to operate. In little
more than two years,- Industries support has been given to a
number of re-search projects at some of the nation's 1-eading
medical research facilitie-s under Jack Roemer's direction and
with the counsel of Dr. Seitz.
Recently members of the Board's Contributions Committee
i a corporate contribu-
tonswe~e concern that touts ide pthe ~no ormal coversight of the
Committee. At the most recen_t. quarterly session of the Contribu-
tions Committee, Dr. Seitz made a presentation outlining all of
the investigations currently receiving Industries' support and
detailed the means by which he and his colleagues monitor the-
progress of individual research projects. This followed your
letter directing me to study the situation and answer thre-e
u,
questions. a

Before answering the questions posed in your letter and
making recommendations, I am convinced that biomedical research
contributions to CTR by the Tobacco Company are thoroughly
justified and are being supported at an appropriate level. The
procedures for providing support and monitoring progress are well
esta blished and have worked very well for more than 25 years.
For this reason, the questions you posed, as they relate to CTR
research, have'been answered. The balance of this report,
therefore, will be confined to Industries-sponsored bio-
me-dical research.
The first question was: What objectives are we seeking
through -biomedical research 'contributions? Analysis and evalua-
tion of the Industries' s-upported research suggests that consid-
erable -val-ue has already been realized. The value is not
quantifiable, but must be assessed on the ba-s-is of appropriate
overs-ight, -expert_ counsel and sound judgm-ent. The objective- for
the program should be as fol lows :
R.J. Reynolds Industries, through a program
of contri:butions supporting basic biome-d-ical
research, seeks to enhance its credibi-lity
within the medical-scientific community_,
contribute directly to the cure and prevention
of degenerative diseases in man, and to dis-
charge a hig-hly worthwhile obligation of
corporate citizenship.
The second question asked which individuals -a-n-d groups
within the RJR family should have oversight over bi.omedical
rese_arch expenditures? We have concluded t-hat biomedical
research contributions should be brought u-nder the oversi-qht of
the Corporate Contributions Committee f-ollowing the procedur-es
de-tailed in Enclosure 1 to this memorandum.
The t°hird question asked how we can best communicate with
different audiences about our research efforts? This is a sub-
ject that is quite sensitive and one which must be han.dled with
great care. Some communication through internal publications has
already taken place aimed at our own employees. Publication of
research results in professional journals credit RJR support and
word-of-mouth supplements this channel of commun.icatio.n within
the scientific and medical research community. Discussions with
Dr. Seitz and others suggest that some additional steps can be
taken and these are outlined in Enclosure 2.

mmendations areas follows:
In summary, our reco
Continue Tobacco Company support of CTR-sponsored,
tobacco-related,
biomedical research
~. ,.
Industries-sponsored basic biomedical
research withinrthe purview of the objective
stated above
Assign oversight responsibility for Industries-
sponsored biomedical rese-arch to the Contribution
Committee of the Board in accordance with the
procedures detailed in Enclosure 1.
Carry out an appropriate program of communications
about biomedical re-sear-ch support along the lines
outlined in Enclosure 2.
~
,r 3M i1 ~//J
WDFf/s c
CCr Mr. Albert L. Butl-er,
Mr. Herschel H. Cu,dd
Dr. Juanita M. Kreps
Jr._
Mr. Richard G. Landis
Mrs. Margaret S. Wilson
Mr. John L. Bacon
Mr. Dennis Durden
Mr. Rona.ld Sustana
BC: Mr. Joseph F. Abely Jr.

ENCLOSURE 1 - Procedures for Managing and Progress Monitoring of
R.J. Reynolds Industries Support of Biomedical
Research
Management - The following procedures govern the commitment of
funds to biomedical research and the role of various individuals
an authorities in consi 'dering requests and granting approvals:
,
Requests for funding support will be referred to Dr.
Frederick Seitz.
Dr. Seitz and other members of his advisory panel will
review fund requests and prepare recommend-ations based on
these criteria:
* Project viability
* Researcher's qualifications
* Adequacy of facilities
* Consistency with overall program objective
Prior to presentation to the Contributions Committee for
disposition, Dr. Seitz will informally discuss recom-
mendations with Mr. H.C. Roemer, ge-neral co-unsel. His
, ..
comments will be appended- to the written evaluations and
recommendations presented to the Contribution-s Committee.
Mr. Roemer would be free, of course, to cons.ult outside
counsel, such as Ed Jacob, as he deems necessary or
desirable.
Twice each yea-r, at the 2nd an-d 4th quarter meetings of
the Contributions Committee, Dr. Seitz or -a member of his
panel wili.pres-ent funding reque-sts and the panel's
recommendations. Research
targets of opportunity may be
presented to the Committee at other times with the per-
mission of the chairman. Dr. Seitz's presentation of
each new request to the Committee will include:
* Assessment of scientific merit
* Recommended budget
* Time f rame -of the proj e.ct
* Recommendation for o-r against approval
Contribution Committee gives approval or disapproves.
f

-2-
Program Monitoring and Oversight - Program monitoring will be
accomplished by means of written reports and site visits.
Written semi-annual reports from researchers will be reviewed by
the Director of Corporate Contributions and be distributed to
appropriate persons for review, comment or other action. The
Director of Corporate Contributions will also establish and
schedule a program of site visits by small delegations
representing the Contributions Committee of the Board, the
scientific advisory panel, inside and outside counsel and
appropriate Ind-ustries executives.
A site visit to each supported program will generally be
scheduled once each year by a del-egation of two or three pers-orrs.
Following each site visit a report will be prepared by the
delegation and furnished to the Director, Corporate Contribu-
tions for appropriate distribution. Such reports will be made a
part of the file for a pa-r.ticular project and will be used in
preparing progress reports for the Contributions Committee-of the
Board.
Persons scheduled for site visits will be drawn from the
following:
Directors of the corporation serving on the Contributions
Commi.ttee.
Inside and_ outside counsel
Relations
Vice President and Group Director, Corporate Public
Officers- of subs-id-i7ary companies as designated by th-e
Chairman of th-e Contributions and Membership Committee
Director, Corporate Contributions
The Chairman and CEO., the President and the Vice Chairman of the
Board may, at their discretion, join th-e delegation in any site
visit.

ENCLOSURE 2 - Concept for Internal and External Communications
Concerning R.J. Reynolds Industries' Support of
Biomedical Research
Part of the corporate objective for supporting biomedical
research presumes that thee company's role in fostering such
research can and will be communicated to appropriate audiences.
Sensitivity of the subject matter and the chances of offending
researchers dictates a carefully controlled and highly targeted
approach. ,, ,
The primary means of communications will be the publication of
research findings within scientific and professional journals and
word-of-mouth communicationsw-ithin the scientific and medical
community. These means are admittedly passive and beyond the
company's control, however, more active approaches will be sougfit
to gain notice among certain internal and external audi-ences when
appropriate. These efforts will be under the direct control and
supervision of the Group Director, Corporate- Publ-ic Relations.
The following communications initia-tives will be undertaken by
Corporate Public Relations:
Monitor -research reports. 'and publications in scie_ntific
journalsr for us-e in preparing news an-de feature storie-s for
employee-and shareholde-r_publications.
Publish news and feature stories in employee and s-hare-
hol-d-e-r publications.
n appropriate.
Publish summary articles whe
Publish a summ-ary article in corporate responsibility-
publications-.
On a selective basis, seek joint news releases on major
discoveries or breakthroughs through liaison and
coordination with researchers through the Advisory Pa-nel
(Dr. Seitz).
- On a selected basis, schedule Dr. Seitz (and other
Advisory Panel members) for meetings with daily newspaper
editorial boards, science and medical editors to explain
need for private support of biomedical research using RJR
program as an example of what can be done.
Securing of legal (inside counsel) and scientific
(Dr. Seitz) clearance of all materials intended for
publication inside or outside the company regarding
corporate support for biomedical research.
