They as a rule cost less than Western drugs, he said. By way of example he cited Kladribin, efficient for a rare form of leucosis. One course of treatment usually costs about 7,000 dollars. "Our medicine will, I think, cost ten times less", he said.
Among other new drugs is gene-engineering growth hormone Rastan, which has already passed tests. Gene-engineering human alfa-, gamma- and beta-interferons, several interleukins, blood-curdling factors and some others are coming. "They are very strong drugs used in the treatment of oncologic and other grave diseases", Miroshnikov noted.
He also said that his institute has begun the production of gene-engineering insulin. The Moscow government has funded its production and now "from 10,000 to 15,000 flasks of Insuran is supplied to Moscow's health centres, although our pilot plant can meet only 16 percent of Moscow's demand for insulin". We are in need of new production facilities, he is sure.
Miroshnikov also said that Russian biologists have sent to the Education and Science Ministry their proposals for setting up a research-training-commercial centre in Puschino, Moscow region. "The town has 30 percent of the national specialists in physicochemical biology, nine biology institutes and two universities. "The centre could become the focal point of modern biotechnology in Russia". In his opinion, it could revive and spread the biological industry to the Commonwealth of Independent States and foreign countries.
"I mean above all Eastern countries - China, Thailand, South Korea", Academician Miroshnikov said. "In the know our research potential, their specialists turn to us. The centre could earn money and produce gene-engineering preparations".
