VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #2563/01 3260527
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220527Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5348
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC

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