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Expert Committees

Dedicated boards and committees, set up together by state and academic medical authorities to promote efficient regulation and advising in the field of national influenza research and clinical activities, are operating at the RII.

Influenza Vaccine and Diagnostic Strains Committee

The Influenza Vaccine and Diagnostic Strains Committee serves as an expert body for the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation (MPHSD) to provide recommendations for improvement of quality of vaccines and diagnostic strains, their production, trial, and implementation process.

Core Functions:

  • Review the data on representative virus strains, circulating in Russia and worldwide.
  • Based on the epidemiological and clinical information available and in line with WHO annual recommendations for the next epidemic season, provide guidance for composition of seasonal influenza vaccines to be used in Russia.
  • Analyze viruses with pandemic potential to be included into pandemic influenza vaccines in case of influenza pandemic concerns.
  • Analyze laboratory and clinical trial results and select strains for new influenza vaccines and diagnostic reagents.
  • Jointly with the Ethics Committee, approve clinical trial schemes and authorize limited trials of reactogenicity and specific activity of new vaccine strains.
  • Control vaccine strain production and implementation schedules.

All decisions made by the Committee are forwarded to the regulatory authorities and manufacturing companies. Meeting schedule: 3–4 times per year, depending on epidemic situation, with the following publication of the summary record.

The Committee is comprised of representatives from RII and other institutions: Tarasevich State Institute for Medical and Biological Standardization and Control (GISK), Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Pasteur Institute), St. Petersburg Experimental Medicine Research Institute, RAMS (IEM), and State Scientific-Industrial Company for Immunbiological Medicines «Microgen» (FGUP NPO «Microgen»).

Chairman: Prof. Oleg I. Kiselev, Director of RII Secretary: Marianna K. Erofeeva, Dr. Med. Sci., Head of the Laboratory of Trials of Novel Antiviral Remedies, RII

Influenza and ILI Problem Committee

The Influenza and ILI Problem Committee under RAMS Virology Scientific Board deals with the issues of Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses.

The main goals of Influenza and ILI Committee are:

  • Analyze the state of influenza and ILI research in Russia and worldwide.
  • Draft annual plans and define prospective trends in influenza and ILI research.
  • Collaborate with other appropriate committees.
  • Take part in organization of conferences, meetings, symposia.
  • Publish relevant information bulletins.

All decisions made by the Committee are forwarded to the regulatory authorities. Meeting schedule: 1–2 times per year, with the following publication of the summary record.

The Committee consists of experts in Influenza and ILI issues from RII, Ivanovsky Virology Institute, RAMS, Moscow (IVI), St. Petersburg Experimental Medicine Research Institute, RAMS (IEM), Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), Tarasevich State Institute for Standardization and Control (GISK), State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector», Novosibirsk (SRC VB VECTOR), and other research and manufacturing institutions engaged in the problem.

Chairman: Prof. Oleg I. Kiselev (Director of RII)
Vice chairmen:

  • Nikolai V. Kaverin, Dr. Med. Sci, Head of the Laboratory of Virus Physiology, IVI
  • Prof. Anna A. Sominina, Head of the Department of Biotechnology, RII

Scientific Board

The Scientific Board is the governing body of the Institute. It controls research, production and financial activities of RII, adjusts the Institute’s regulations and communicates with senior state authorities. It also supports postgraduate studies, examines and approves doctorate theses and selects the best research works for prize nomination. The Board is comprised of the leading scientists from RII and other institutions.

Chairman: Prof. Oleg. I. Kiselev, Director of RII
Academic secretary: Tamara. G. Lobova, PhD, RII

E-mail: sovet@influenza.spb.ru

Ethics Committee (Institutional Review Board)

Ethics Committee was conceived with the aim to protect rights and well-being of test subjects by approving and monitoring clinical trials. Its duties rely on independence, justice, publicity, objectivity and responsibility of the experts involved. The committee analyzes in detail planned trials of a new medicine and decides whether the trial is ethically reasonable and should be allowed, or not.

Ethics Committee acts in compliance with The Principles of ICH-GCP (1.05.96), The World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki (2000) and all relevant federal laws and regulations of the Russian Federation. It is registered under № 0005131, 2008, International IRBS for Russia.

There are 11 constant members in the committee, with additional 3 on reserve.

Chairman: Nadezhda. I. Konovalova, PhD, Senior Researcher, RII Secretary: V. L. Maksakova, PhD, Leading Researcher, RII

E-mail: konovalova_nadya@mail.ru