04/18/96 14:51 @202 334 1730 CISAC 292 LEDERBERG To: lev @ vector.nsk.su at Internet @ CCMNAC cc: From: Jo Husbands Date: 04/15/96 06:03:04 PM Subject: Message from Joshua Lederberg To: "Lev S. Sandakhchiev" Ce: (J. Lederbergilederberg@rockvax.rockefeller.edu Bec: jsteinbruner@brook.edu, sblanchard@brook.edu Ce: jhusband@nas.edu Subject: Invitation to visit us in US TO: Prof. Sandakhchiev: FROM: Jo Husbands Dr. Lederberg has asked me to expedite this e-mail to you on his behalf. XXX {am glad to note that you and ! personally remain in concurrence about the policy debate on the destruction of variola stocks. As you know, the officiaidom in public health in the U.S. has formulated our government's position on this matter, but there remains a spirited debate within our research community. But now | speak on behalf of our NAS-CISAC/BW group and lL have what appears to be much better news on another front: the further development of cooperative projects concerning dread digaases. | took pains to verify that the ISTC channel has already implemented funding for the following projects in which your institute is involved. According to those records, they would be: 1) Organization of praduction of inactivated vaccine against Hepatitius A -- $232,000 allocated, $93,900 disbursed to date, and 2) Technical specification for production of a live measles vaccine for oral administration -- $479,000 allocated, $161, 500 disbursed to date. This has taken so long that | have hesitated to approach you further until this could be substantiated. The news is that the National Academy of Sciences has been officially delegated to be the contracting agents for additional projects, a procedure that would greatly accelerate further steps in collaboration. One that remains of very great interest to several US investigators is in “paleovirology", to be associated with your own expeditions in the frozen north. We are eager to hear more of your own findings with regard to variola, but the specific program that we would like to develop, and for which funding is assured, is in the resuscitation of genome fragments of the 1918 influenza pandemic strains. There are doubtiess several others. The most expeditious way that we might proceed would be if you could accept our invitation for a personal visit to Washington in the near future, for which the Academy will take financial responsibility. Realizing that May is barely two weeks off, we KJ 002/003 04/18/96 14:52 202 334 1730 have tried to find specific dates on which our own committee could be assembled: this may not be literally possible on any single day, but if you could stay for two or three days, a rolling engagement could succeed, and give time for a thorough and deliberate examination of all the options. While your own research programs are the primary focus of interest, we would be giad to get your advice on other research activities in Russia that we should be engaging as well. So, | am asking you now for an agreement in principle, and perhaps most useful some indication of the range of dates in May even June, or miraculously still this month, that would be compatible with your own schedule. Dr. Husbands stands ready to assist in working out the logistic details, and to interface with the schedules of our own team. If you wish to take advantage of your trip for other visits in the U.S., please let us see what further assistance we can offer. Yours sincerely, Joshua Lederberg 279 LEDERBERG Of Wy UUs Uo