US turns to Swiss firms amid bioterror fears

The US is counting on Swiss firms to protect it against bioterrorist attacks Keystone

The United States is turning to Swiss biotech companies as it prepares to defend itself against a possible attack involving biological weapons.

On Wednesday, US authorities and Swiss experts discussed how best to protect civilians against deadly agents such as anthrax and smallpox.

Addressing a conference at the Swiss embassy in Washington, the US Secretary of Health, Tommy Thompson, said Swiss biotechnology companies were key to developing effective drugs and vaccines against biological and chemical threats.

“We need your ideas,” he told delegates.

Thompson, who earlier this month launched a nationwide rapid-reaction programme in case of an attack, also praised the ongoing cooperation between the US and Switzerland in this field.

Swiss pharmaceutical giants Novartis, Roche and Serono last year agreed to implement measures to stop dangerous chemicals falling into the wrong hands, by regulating access to laboratories and banning the use of some substances.

The new guidelines were part of an American initiative put forward at the 2002 World Economic Forum, in the hope that they would serve as a model for the pharmaceutical industry worldwide.

Anthrax scare

Thompson said the US had become far more aware of dangers posed by deadly bacteria, viruses and other toxic substances since the post-September 11 anthrax-mail scare.

Washington was also painfully aware of the ease with which such agents could be propagated and the difficulty in tracing those responsible, he said.

Bioterrorism needed to be fought on all levels, in collaboration with public and private agencies and national governments, he added.

Rapid response

The meeting, attended by over 130 delegates from 15 countries, was part of Project BioShield, a scheme launched by the US to develop and distribute effective drugs and vaccines in the event of a bioterrorism attack.

Thompson pointed out that the US was still a long way off from being in a position to rapidly deploy the necessary medicine to civilians in an emergency.

Terry Barnett, the head of the US arm of Novartis, said treatments had to be found, as it was not realistic to expect people to be on standby to evacuate an area in the event of an attack.

“People who are worried about an attack are no longer willing to move from one city to another,” he said.

Swiss input

The Swiss ambassador, Christian Blickenstorfer, highlighted the importance of Swiss companies in the field of bioterrorism.

“We all know about the success of Alinghi,” he said, adding that the man behind the team, Ernesto Bertarelli, also headed up Serono.

Novartis, Roche and dozens of smaller Swiss businesses were all working to develop treatments against biological and chemical agents, he said.

swissinfo, Anna Luisa Ferro Mäder (translation: Vanessa Mock)

Bio-terrorism summary

The US last year resumed smallpox vaccinations for selected groups amid fears countries like Iraq could use the virus as a weapon.
Smallpox kills about 30 per cent of its victims and scars the remainder for life.
Five Americans died in 2001 when letters contaminated with anthrax were mailed to US media organisations and politicians.

In brief

US government officials and biotech experts met on Wednesday to discuss the “Role of Biotechnology in Homeland Security and Defense”.

The meeting was part of a US project to fight biological and chemical warfare.

Five Americans died in 2001 when letters contaminated with the anthrax bacteria were sent to US politicians and media organisations.