Russian Biotechnology Companies to Return to Philadelphia in April 2006

June 2005 was a prolific time for Russian - American business and technology cooperation. The Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council (MARBC) organized the Russian pavilion at BIO 2005 as part of the Russian-American Innovation Technology Week (RANIT). RANIT, organized by MARBC and Innovation Philadelphia, took place from June 18-30 with events in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and New York addressing hot topics such as biotechnologies. RANIT is the most significant event in the Mid-Atlantic region devoted to Russian-American technological and business cooperation.

Over the last few years, biotechnology has emerged as one of the priorities in MARBC efforts to strengthen Russian-American business relations. In the first half of 2005 alone, MARBC has facilitated American participation in several of the most significant biotechnological events in Russia, including the biotechnology sections of the Fifth Moscow International Salon of Innovations and Investments and the Sixth International Forum "High Technologies of the XXI Century" in Moscow, the "Biotechnology: State of the Art and Prospects of Development" International Congress, and the Forum for the Development of Technoparks and International Incubators, which emphasized biotechnology. Russian participation in BIO was one of the most important aspects of MARBC's undertaking to build a bridge between Russian and American biotechnological communities. Further upcoming biotechnology events in Russia supported by the MARBC include Biotech World 2006 and 2007, and the Fourth Moscow International Congress "Biotechnology: State of the Art and Prospects of Development" to be held March 14-17, 2006.

As the organizer for the official Russian delegation to BIO, MARBC will next year once again be bringing Russian biotechnology companies to the United States to participate BIO 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, and then to Philadelphia in April.

Biology and biotechnology historically have been well-developed in Russia. Russia is a leading producer of immunobiological medications, veterinary products, and environmental protection technology, among others. Analytical instrument manufacturing is a growing field. There is also an increasing demand for Russian cell technologies, bioinformatics, post-genome technologies (proteomics, metabolomics), and nanotechnologies. These fields have grown in significance with the increasing global concern for biodiversity and biosafety.

Both the Russian government and public recognize the need to improve legal and economic regulations related to biotechnologies. To integrate civil society into Russian State initiatives, a decision was recently made to develop a national program entitled "Biotechnological Development in Russia in 2006 - 2015." The program aims to develop both governmental and non-governmental measures to create the environment necessary for further development of fundamental and applied biotechnology. The program will consist of eleven sub-programs, including regional programs and special off-budget projects, and will support science centers, as well as regions focusing on biotechnology and biology.

Russia provides significant opportunities in manufacturing, research and development, and innovative biotechnologies. The physicochemical biology and biotechnology industries have numerous professional specialists, including over one thousand institutions and organizations that conduct research in this area. The emerging Russian biotech market is particularly strong in the following areas:

• Expression and purification of biologically active molecules and peptides;
• Open fermentation capacity at production scale, ready to contract;
• Original in-vivo and in-vitro methods of modeling a range of neurological disorders;
• State-of-the-art pilot scale drug manufacturing facilities;
• Plant cell culture scale-up and industrial production;
• Peroral, intranasal and aerosol drug delivery systems;
• Preclinical drug screening facilities operating according to GLP standards;
• SPF laboratory rodent breeding facility;
• Next generation vaccines, immunomodulators, and cytokines

In the past 10 years, the Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council has played a major part in promoting technological and business cooperation between Russia and the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. As increasing efforts of the Russian government to support biotechnological industry in Russia and several developments in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US create circumstances favorable to further development of Russian-American biotechnological cooperation, MARBC will continue its efforts to make the Mid-Atlantic region a center of Russian-American biotechnological cooperation, helping to secure the leadership role of the region in biotechnologies worldwide.

BIO 2005 Russian Participation:

• Booth / Pavilion #2757: Biotech Russia
• The 2nd Semi-Annual Russian-American Innovation Technology Week
• Contact: Val Kogan, President, Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council, tel: (215) 708-2628, (484) 467-7444(m), val@ma-rbc.org, http://www.ma-rbc.org