EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: M.P.CHUMAKOV

UNCLAS MOSCOW 012563

SIPDIS

USDOC FOR 532/OEA/MHAMES/DMUSLU
USDOC FOR 3150/USFCS/OIO/CEENIS/MCOSTA
USDOC FOR 532/OEE/MO'BRIEN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP ETRD ETTC RS
SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: M.P.CHUMAKOV
INST. OF POLIOMYELITIS MYELITIS, MOSCOW, RUSSIA,
LICENSE NO. D366152

REFTEL: USDOC 06044


1. Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided
below is prohibited by Section 12C of the Export
Administration Act.


2. Reftel requested a Pre-license check to determine
the legitimacy and reliability of the end-user, M.P.
Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and viral
encefalitides of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences,
Moscow, Russia. The company is listed on BIS license
application D366152 as the ultimate consignee of a
Bioflo-Pro-150L Fermentor. These items are controlled
for chemical/biological warfare reasons under ECCN
2B352. The licensee is New Brunswick Scientific Co.
Inc., 44 Talmadge Road, Edison, NJ 08818.


3. On November 20, 2006, Export Control Attache Donald
Pearce and FSN Natalya Shipitsina conducted the
requested pre-license check at the offices of M.P.
Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral
Encefalitides of the Russian Academy of Medical
Sciences, Moscow, Leninsky District, Russia. The
export control team met with Boris Bykhovsky, Chief
Engineer and Galina Belova, General Director.


4. The Institute was founded in 1955 for research,
development and production of poliomyelitis vaccine.
As part of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences,
the Institute today continues this research and
production, and has expanded to other viral diseases
including encephalitis, yellow fever, hanta, and
rabies. The Institute employs over 300, with four
Academics of Medical Science (Post-Doctorate),100
Doctors, and 200 Doctoral candidates. Researchers
holding PhD or higher degrees head the laboratories.
All of the laboratory facilities are located on the
Leninsky District campus. The Institute has
collaborated with researchers from the U.S. and other
countries since it's inception; Dr. Mikhail Chumakov
(for whom the Institute is named) worked closely with
U.S. researcher Albert Sabin to bring the first live
poliomyelitis vaccine to the Soviet Union. Foreign
guests are invited to tour and work at the facility on
a regular basis. The World Health Organization has
certified the labs for the production of vaccines.


5. The Institute has been utilizing simian animals to
cultivate strains of poliomyelitis for use in
producing vaccines. At one time the laboratory had as
many as 7000 infected monkeys, from whose kidneys the
vaccine was cultivated. Diseases such as HIV and
Ebola complicate the use of monkeys for cultivation of
vacceines, and procuring monkeys for medical research
has become prohibitively expensive. The cost per
monkey in the 1980s was around 120 USD; currently the
cost can be 1000 - 1500 USD per monkey.


6. The Institute is currently doing small-scale
production of vaccines using bioreactor technology. A
laboratory utilizing a U.S. made bioreactor has been
in operation for several years, and is producing
second-generation poliomyelitis vaccine. The
Institute is planning on expanding this program based
on the success of this operation, in hopes of
discontinuing the use of animal hosts. The Institute
began negotiations to purchase the fermenter in reftel
over a year ago. As the financing for this project is
from a Government of Russia program, the procurement
must be completed before the end of the calendar year.


7. The equipment will be utilized in a laboratory
situated in a special building on the campus. As a
recipient of government funding, the GOR has audited
the security features of the facility prior to
authorizing the purchase of the fermenter. A high
wall surrounds the campus, and the laboratory building
has an inner-perimeter metal fence. Access to the
laboratories is limited to authorized personnel, who
must pass two checkpoints prior to entering the
laboratories. The facility has security officers on
duty at all times, and utilizes video surveillance.
Eight people are participating in the project, and two
will have direct access to the equipment. The
Institute plans on purchasing additional units in the
future to expand production. Ms. Belova assured the


team that access for Post-Shipment Verification would
be granted upon request should one be necessary.


8. Recommendations: Post recommends M.P. Chumakov
Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encefalitides of
Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia,
as reliable recipients of sensitive U.S. origin
commodities. It is requested that post be notified of
final disposition of the application, and of any
shipments for this organization in order to conduct
appropriate FCS follow-up and statistical reporting.
(FCS MOSCOW/SBOZEK/DPEARCE)
BURNS