By Lee Hyo-sik
Korea should strengthen the oversight of botulinum toxin (BTX) and other highly toxic substances to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists, according to an internationally-renowned neurobiologist.
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Giampietro Schiavo, a professor of cellular neurobiology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, also said individuals and entities dealing with materials that could be used as biological weapons have to register all information about the materials with relevant authorities.
"I think anyone handling bio-hazardous materials should fully unveil their strains and genome sequencing information. It is more so when it comes to BTX, which is highly toxic," Schiavo said.
"BTX companies need to deposit strains and genome sequence data. The information should be provided to the government and to institutions in charge of security and pharmaceutical governance. So the storage, transfer and use of BTX for research and clinical purposes can be more tightly regulated."
BTX, a biopharmaceutical substance used to remove facial wrinkles by paralyzing muscles, can be used as a deadly biochemical weapon as 1 gram could kill more than 1 million people. The demand for BTX has been growing rapidly in Korea and elsewhere as more people undergo the treatment to look younger and prettier.
His remarks come at a time when a controversy is growing over the origins of BTX strains, possessed by three domestic companies; Medytox, Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Hugel.
Medytox has been calling on Daewoong and Hugel to identify the entire genome sequence of the BTX strain they use, accusing them of stealing its strain of the toxin. But Daewoong and Hugel have refused Medytox's demands.
Medytox recently filed a lawsuit against Daewoong in the United States, alleging that the latter illegally obtained the strain via a former employee who stole it from the lab. It has also raised concerns over inappropriate handling of BTX, which could pose a threat to the public.
Under Korean law, Medytox, Daewoong and Hugel are obliged to submit the amino acid sequencing to the Korea Food and Drug Administration. But Schiavo argued that the companies should register the entire genome sequencing, including DNA, so authorities can trace the origin if BTX is used in terror attacks.
"In the United States and Britain, the production, storage, transfer and use of BTX for research and clinical purposes is tightly regulated at the government level due to the very high toxicity and the intrinsic bioterrorism risk. This means that type, source, site of use and personnel in charge of their handling must be declared to relevant government bodies," the Italian-born scientist said.
"I have no direct knowledge of the dispute among Korean BTX makers. But it seems to me that Korea should use this as an opportunity to bring greater clarity and transparency to the management of BTX and other toxic substances," he said. "When this happens, allegations about industrial espionage will disappear, which will benefit the industry, the government and patients."
Schiavo is also the president of the International Neurotoxin Association, an international society whose main aim is promoting advances in our understanding of the basic and clinical aspects of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins.
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| Giampietro Schiavo, a professor of cellular neurobiology at the Institute of Neurology University College London |
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Giampietro Schiavo, a professor of cellular neurobiology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, also said individuals and entities dealing with materials that could be used as biological weapons have to register all information about the materials with relevant authorities.
"I think anyone handling bio-hazardous materials should fully unveil their strains and genome sequencing information. It is more so when it comes to BTX, which is highly toxic," Schiavo said.
"BTX companies need to deposit strains and genome sequence data. The information should be provided to the government and to institutions in charge of security and pharmaceutical governance. So the storage, transfer and use of BTX for research and clinical purposes can be more tightly regulated."
BTX, a biopharmaceutical substance used to remove facial wrinkles by paralyzing muscles, can be used as a deadly biochemical weapon as 1 gram could kill more than 1 million people. The demand for BTX has been growing rapidly in Korea and elsewhere as more people undergo the treatment to look younger and prettier.
His remarks come at a time when a controversy is growing over the origins of BTX strains, possessed by three domestic companies; Medytox, Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Hugel.
Medytox has been calling on Daewoong and Hugel to identify the entire genome sequence of the BTX strain they use, accusing them of stealing its strain of the toxin. But Daewoong and Hugel have refused Medytox's demands.
Medytox recently filed a lawsuit against Daewoong in the United States, alleging that the latter illegally obtained the strain via a former employee who stole it from the lab. It has also raised concerns over inappropriate handling of BTX, which could pose a threat to the public.
Under Korean law, Medytox, Daewoong and Hugel are obliged to submit the amino acid sequencing to the Korea Food and Drug Administration. But Schiavo argued that the companies should register the entire genome sequencing, including DNA, so authorities can trace the origin if BTX is used in terror attacks.
"In the United States and Britain, the production, storage, transfer and use of BTX for research and clinical purposes is tightly regulated at the government level due to the very high toxicity and the intrinsic bioterrorism risk. This means that type, source, site of use and personnel in charge of their handling must be declared to relevant government bodies," the Italian-born scientist said.
"I have no direct knowledge of the dispute among Korean BTX makers. But it seems to me that Korea should use this as an opportunity to bring greater clarity and transparency to the management of BTX and other toxic substances," he said. "When this happens, allegations about industrial espionage will disappear, which will benefit the industry, the government and patients."
Schiavo is also the president of the International Neurotoxin Association, an international society whose main aim is promoting advances in our understanding of the basic and clinical aspects of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins.
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