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Florida Hospital reportedly entered into exclusive negotiations with Sanford Burnham to take over Florida research facility

Orange County (Fla.) Mayor Teresa Jacobs said during a city commission meeting Jan. 23 she was surprised to learn Orlando-based Florida Hospital had entered into exclusive negotiations with La Jolla, Calif.-based Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to take over its Florida facility ahead of Tuesday's planned meeting, the Orlando Business Journal reports.

Here are seven things to know about the negotiations.

1. Ms. Jacobs requested Orlando-based University of Central Florida and Florida Hospital present their proposals to the Orange County Commission Jan. 23. Their proposals were meant to discuss how each institution planned to transform the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, also in Orlando, which has been winding down operations for the past two years due to declining funds.

2. During the meeting, Ms. Jacobs told commissioners, "I was surprised when [UCF and I] tried to have access to the building, and UCF wasn't able to" enter the facility because of Sanford Burnham's undisclosed deal to enter into exclusive negotiations with Florida Hospital, according to the report.

3. After disclosing the institutions' agreement, Florida Hospital and UCF each spent 20 minutes presenting their proposals.

4. While no formal decision was made during the meeting, Orange County officials are now considering opening the bidding process to other interested institutions, the Orlando Business Journal reports.

5. If officials decide to go through with the bidding process, executives from Orlando (Fla.) Health said they may also create a proposal to assume operations at the research facility, according to the report.

6. City officials are reportedly leaning toward either opening the bidding process or transferring the research institute's assets to UCF, the report states.

7. Florida Hospital declined to comment to Becker's Hospital Review Wednesday regarding the alleged exclusive negotiations with Sanford Burnham.

To read the full report, click here.

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