Ken Alibek
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Kanatzhan (Kanat) Alibekov — known as Dr. Kenneth Alibek since 1992 — is a former Soviet physician
, scientist
and biological warfare
(BW) expert of Kazakh descent. He is a military physician, has PhD in microbiology and ScD (Doctor of Sciences) in biotechnology. He rose rapidly in the ranks of the Soviet Army
to become the First Deputy Director of Biopreparat
where he oversaw a vast program of biodefense and BW facilities and was responsible for research and production of various pharmaceuticals and biologics. In 1992 he defected to the United States, has become an American citizen, and makes his living as a biodefense
consultant, speaker, researcher and entrepreneur. He has actively participated in the development of biodefense strategy for the US government, and has repeatedly advised the US Congress and other governments on biotechnology issues. He is Chief Executive Officer of AFG Biosolutions Inc. (US) and President and Chief Scientific Officer of MaxWell US (US/Ukraine).
(in present day Kazakhstan
) and grew up in Almaty
, the republic's former capital.
His exceptional academic performance while studying military medicine
at the Tomsk
Medical Institute and his family’s noted patriotism led to his selection to work for Biopreparat
, the secret BW program overseen by the Soviet Union’s Council of Ministers. His first assignment (1975) was to the Eastern European Branch of the Institute of Applied Biochemistry (IAB) near Omutninsk
, a combined pesticide
production facility and reserve BW production plant intended for activation in a time of war. At Omutninsk, Alibekov mastered the art and science of formulating and evaluating nutrient media and cultivation conditions for the optimization of microbial growth. It was here that he expanded his medical school laboratory skills into the complex skill set required for industrial level production of microorganism
s and their toxins.
After less than a year at Omutninsk, Alibekov was transferred to the Siberian Branch of the IAB near Berdsk
(another name of the branch was the Berdsk scientific and production base). With the assistance of a colleague, he designed and constructed a microbiology research and development laboratory that worked on techniques to optimize production of biological formulations. After several promotions over a short period of time, Alibekov was transferred back to Omutninsk where he quickly rose to the position of Deputy Director. He was soon transferred to the Kazakhstan Scientific and Production Base in Stepnogorsk
(another reserve BW facility) to become the new Director of that facility. Officially, he was Deputy Director of the Progress Scientific and Production Association, a manufacturer of fertilizer
and pesticide
. At Stepnogorsk
, Alibekov created the most efficient industrial scale assembly line for biological formulations. In a time of war, the assembly line could be used to produce weaponized anthrax
. Continued successes in science and biotechnology led to more promotions which resulted in a transfer to Moscow
.
for the public. Though the time he had available was short, he took this additional responsibility to public health seriously.
In response to a Spring 1990 announcement that the Ministry of Medical and Microbiological Industry was to be reorganized, Alibekov drafted and forwarded through channels a memo to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
proposing the cessation of Biopreparat’s BW work. Though Gorbachev approved the proposal, an additional paragraph had been secretly inserted into Alibekov’s draft resulting in a presidential decree that not only ordered the end of Biopreparat’s BW work but also required them to remain prepared for future production.
Though disappointed by the double dealing, Alibekov used his position at Biopreparat and the authority granted to him by the first part of the decree to begin destruction of the BW program. Specifically, he ordered the dismantlement of BW production and testing capabilities at a number of research and development facilities including Stepnogorsk, Kol’tsovo, Obolensk and a number of others. He also negotiated a concurrent appointment to a Biopreparat facility called Biomash. Biomash designed and produced technical equipment for microbial cultivation and testing. He planned to increase the amount of product sent to the hospitals and the civilian medical laboratories beyond the 40% allocated at the time.
Dr. Kenneth Alibek adds: “Long before my emigration, I resigned from the Soviet Army, left my administrative and scientific positions in Moscow, refused to accept a Russian citizenship, informed Russian security officials that I would be leaving for the United States, became jobless for more than 9 months and, after I got my parents’ blessing, I left the former Soviet Union (it was not Russia). I do not think it can be considered defection even though Russian security officials did not want me to go overseas. But it was a different time, I was not a Russian citizen and they could not have done anything officially. Only after that I emigrated with all my family”
Since moving to the US, Alibekov — who simplified his name to Kenneth (Ken) Alibek — has provided the government with a detailed accounting of the former Soviet BW program and has testified before the US Congress on numerous occasions (see also Sverdlovsk anthrax leak
). He has provided guidance to the intelligence, policy, national security, and medical communities and has returned to the pure biomedical research that captured his interest as a medical student. He was the impetus behind the creation of an innovative biodefense graduate education program at George Mason University
(GMU) that drew students from across the country and has served in the program as both a Distinguished Professor of Medical Microbiology and as the Director of Education. He also developed the plans for GMU’s biosafety level
three (BSL-3) research facility and was instrumental in obtaining $40 million dollars of grants from the federal and state governments for construction of the facility.
In 1999, Alibek published an autobiographical account of his work in the Soviet Union and his defection.
Kenneth Alibek is the President, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Executive Officer at AFG Biosolutions, Inc in Gaithersburg, Maryland
where he and his scientific team continue their development of advanced solutions for antimicrobial immunity. Motivated by the lack of affordable anti-cancer therapies available in Eastern Europe
and Central Asia
, AFG is using Alibek’s biotechnology experience to plan, build, and manage a new pharmaceutical production facility designed specifically to address this problem. Alibek created this new pharmaceutical production company, MaxWell Biocorporation (MWB), in 2006 and serves as its CEO and President. Based in Washington, D.C., with several subsidiaries and affiliates in the United States and Ukraine, MWB’s main goal is said to be the creation of a new, large-scale, high-technology, ultra-modern pharmaceutical 'fill-and-finish' facility in Ukraine. Off-patent generic pharmaceuticals produced at this site are supposed to target severe oncological, cardiological, immunological, and chronic infectious diseases. MWB is said to be the biggest and most modern pharmaceutical production facility in all of the former Soviet Union. It is intended to serve as the flagship of a larger healthcare complex at a campus just outside the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev
in the town of Boryspil
. Construction of the Boryspil facility began in April 2007 and was completed in March 2008; initial production is scheduled to begin in 2008. The stated intention is that high quality pharmaceuticals will be produced and become an affordable source of therapy for millions of underprivileged who currently have no therapeutic options
The main focus of Dr. Alibek's current research is to develop novel modalities for therapy of late stage oncologic diseases and other chronic degenerative pathologies and disorders. He focuses on a role of chronic viral and bacterial infections in causing age-related diseases and premature aging. Additionally, he develops and implements novel systemic immunotherapy methods for late stage cancer patients
Book chapters
Monographs
Op-Eds
Selected Congressional Testimony
Polkovnik
Polkovnik is often a military rank in Slavic countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states. However, in the Ukraine, polkovnyk was an administrative rank similar to a governor...
Kanatzhan (Kanat) Alibekov — known as Dr. Kenneth Alibek since 1992 — is a former Soviet physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
(BW) expert of Kazakh descent. He is a military physician, has PhD in microbiology and ScD (Doctor of Sciences) in biotechnology. He rose rapidly in the ranks of the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
to become the First Deputy Director of Biopreparat
Biopreparat
Biopreparat was the Soviet Union's major biological warfare agency from the 1970s on. It was a vast network of secret laboratories, each focused on a different deadly agent...
where he oversaw a vast program of biodefense and BW facilities and was responsible for research and production of various pharmaceuticals and biologics. In 1992 he defected to the United States, has become an American citizen, and makes his living as a biodefense
Biodefense
Biodefense refers to short term, local, usually military measures to restore biosecurity to a given group of persons in a given area who are, or may be, subject to biological warfare— in the civilian terminology, it is a very robust biohazard response. It is technically possible to apply...
consultant, speaker, researcher and entrepreneur. He has actively participated in the development of biodefense strategy for the US government, and has repeatedly advised the US Congress and other governments on biotechnology issues. He is Chief Executive Officer of AFG Biosolutions Inc. (US) and President and Chief Scientific Officer of MaxWell US (US/Ukraine).
Youth and early career
Kenneth Alibek was born Kanat Alibekov in Kauchuk, in the Kazakh SSR of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(in present day Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
) and grew up in Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
, the republic's former capital.
His exceptional academic performance while studying military medicine
Military medicine
The term military medicine has a number of potential connotations. It may mean:*A medical specialty, specifically a branch of occupational medicine attending to the medical risks and needs of soldiers, sailors and other service members...
at the Tomsk
Tomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
Medical Institute and his family’s noted patriotism led to his selection to work for Biopreparat
Biopreparat
Biopreparat was the Soviet Union's major biological warfare agency from the 1970s on. It was a vast network of secret laboratories, each focused on a different deadly agent...
, the secret BW program overseen by the Soviet Union’s Council of Ministers. His first assignment (1975) was to the Eastern European Branch of the Institute of Applied Biochemistry (IAB) near Omutninsk
Omutninsk
Omutninsk is a town and the administrative center of Omutninsky District of Kirov Oblast, Russia. Population: It was first mentioned in 1773; town status was granted to it in 1921.The Institute of Applied Biochemistry is situated near Omutninsk...
, a combined pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
production facility and reserve BW production plant intended for activation in a time of war. At Omutninsk, Alibekov mastered the art and science of formulating and evaluating nutrient media and cultivation conditions for the optimization of microbial growth. It was here that he expanded his medical school laboratory skills into the complex skill set required for industrial level production of microorganism
Microorganism
A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters, or no cell at all...
s and their toxins.
After less than a year at Omutninsk, Alibekov was transferred to the Siberian Branch of the IAB near Berdsk
Berdsk
Berdsk is a town in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, a satellite of Novosibirsk, situated on a bank of the Berd River. Population: It was founded in 1716 as a fortress. Town status was granted to it in 1944...
(another name of the branch was the Berdsk scientific and production base). With the assistance of a colleague, he designed and constructed a microbiology research and development laboratory that worked on techniques to optimize production of biological formulations. After several promotions over a short period of time, Alibekov was transferred back to Omutninsk where he quickly rose to the position of Deputy Director. He was soon transferred to the Kazakhstan Scientific and Production Base in Stepnogorsk
Stepnogorsk
Stepnogorsk is a town in Akmola Province, Kazakhstan. It was established in 1959, and has been a town since 1964. It is located about 200km North-East of Astana. It was first established as a secret town with code names Tselinograd-25 , Makinsk-2 . The town is known as a nuclear and biochemical site...
(another reserve BW facility) to become the new Director of that facility. Officially, he was Deputy Director of the Progress Scientific and Production Association, a manufacturer of fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
and pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
. At Stepnogorsk
Stepnogorsk
Stepnogorsk is a town in Akmola Province, Kazakhstan. It was established in 1959, and has been a town since 1964. It is located about 200km North-East of Astana. It was first established as a secret town with code names Tselinograd-25 , Makinsk-2 . The town is known as a nuclear and biochemical site...
, Alibekov created the most efficient industrial scale assembly line for biological formulations. In a time of war, the assembly line could be used to produce weaponized anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
. Continued successes in science and biotechnology led to more promotions which resulted in a transfer to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Work at Biopreparat-Moscow
In Moscow, Alibekov began his service as Deputy Chief of the Biosafety Directorate at Biopreparat. He was later promoted (1988) to First Deputy Director of Biopreparat where he not only oversaw the biological weapons facilities but also the significant number of pharmaceutical facilities that produced antibiotics, vaccines, sera, and interferonInterferon
Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...
for the public. Though the time he had available was short, he took this additional responsibility to public health seriously.
In response to a Spring 1990 announcement that the Ministry of Medical and Microbiological Industry was to be reorganized, Alibekov drafted and forwarded through channels a memo to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
proposing the cessation of Biopreparat’s BW work. Though Gorbachev approved the proposal, an additional paragraph had been secretly inserted into Alibekov’s draft resulting in a presidential decree that not only ordered the end of Biopreparat’s BW work but also required them to remain prepared for future production.
Though disappointed by the double dealing, Alibekov used his position at Biopreparat and the authority granted to him by the first part of the decree to begin destruction of the BW program. Specifically, he ordered the dismantlement of BW production and testing capabilities at a number of research and development facilities including Stepnogorsk, Kol’tsovo, Obolensk and a number of others. He also negotiated a concurrent appointment to a Biopreparat facility called Biomash. Biomash designed and produced technical equipment for microbial cultivation and testing. He planned to increase the amount of product sent to the hospitals and the civilian medical laboratories beyond the 40% allocated at the time.
Life in the United States
Kanatzhan Alibekov was subsequently placed in charge of intensive preparations for inspections of Soviet biological facilities by a joint American and British delegation. While participating in the subsequent Soviet inspection of American facilities, his growing suspicion that the United States did not have an offensive BW program was confirmed before his return to Russia (the Soviet Union dissolved while he was in the US). In January 1992, not long after his return from the US, Kenneth Alibek, protesting against BW work continuation, resigned from both the Soviet Army and from Biopreparat and became jobless. In October 1992 he emigrated with his family to the US, despite being forbidden to do so by the KGB.Dr. Kenneth Alibek adds: “Long before my emigration, I resigned from the Soviet Army, left my administrative and scientific positions in Moscow, refused to accept a Russian citizenship, informed Russian security officials that I would be leaving for the United States, became jobless for more than 9 months and, after I got my parents’ blessing, I left the former Soviet Union (it was not Russia). I do not think it can be considered defection even though Russian security officials did not want me to go overseas. But it was a different time, I was not a Russian citizen and they could not have done anything officially. Only after that I emigrated with all my family”
Since moving to the US, Alibekov — who simplified his name to Kenneth (Ken) Alibek — has provided the government with a detailed accounting of the former Soviet BW program and has testified before the US Congress on numerous occasions (see also Sverdlovsk anthrax leak
Sverdlovsk anthrax leak
The Sverdlovsk anthrax leak is an incident when spores of anthrax were accidentally released from a military facility in the city of Sverdlovsk 1450 km east of Moscow on April 2, 1979. This accident is sometimes called "biological Chernobyl"...
). He has provided guidance to the intelligence, policy, national security, and medical communities and has returned to the pure biomedical research that captured his interest as a medical student. He was the impetus behind the creation of an innovative biodefense graduate education program at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
(GMU) that drew students from across the country and has served in the program as both a Distinguished Professor of Medical Microbiology and as the Director of Education. He also developed the plans for GMU’s biosafety level
Biosafety level
A biosafety level is the level of the biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 to the highest at level 4 . In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and...
three (BSL-3) research facility and was instrumental in obtaining $40 million dollars of grants from the federal and state governments for construction of the facility.
In 1999, Alibek published an autobiographical account of his work in the Soviet Union and his defection.
Pharmaceutical entrepreneur and researcher
On 11 March 2006, Alibek announced that, owing to substantive differences between himself and GMU over the future of the Graduate Programs in Biodefense, he would not be teaching classes beyond the Spring semester and that he was resigning from GMU effective 27 August 2006. In an agreement with his students, he volunteered his time from Spring 2006 through Spring 2007 to help them earn their doctoral degrees.Kenneth Alibek is the President, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Executive Officer at AFG Biosolutions, Inc in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
where he and his scientific team continue their development of advanced solutions for antimicrobial immunity. Motivated by the lack of affordable anti-cancer therapies available in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, AFG is using Alibek’s biotechnology experience to plan, build, and manage a new pharmaceutical production facility designed specifically to address this problem. Alibek created this new pharmaceutical production company, MaxWell Biocorporation (MWB), in 2006 and serves as its CEO and President. Based in Washington, D.C., with several subsidiaries and affiliates in the United States and Ukraine, MWB’s main goal is said to be the creation of a new, large-scale, high-technology, ultra-modern pharmaceutical 'fill-and-finish' facility in Ukraine. Off-patent generic pharmaceuticals produced at this site are supposed to target severe oncological, cardiological, immunological, and chronic infectious diseases. MWB is said to be the biggest and most modern pharmaceutical production facility in all of the former Soviet Union. It is intended to serve as the flagship of a larger healthcare complex at a campus just outside the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in the town of Boryspil
Boryspil
Boryspil is a city located in the Kiev Oblast in northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Boryspil Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast....
. Construction of the Boryspil facility began in April 2007 and was completed in March 2008; initial production is scheduled to begin in 2008. The stated intention is that high quality pharmaceuticals will be produced and become an affordable source of therapy for millions of underprivileged who currently have no therapeutic options
The main focus of Dr. Alibek's current research is to develop novel modalities for therapy of late stage oncologic diseases and other chronic degenerative pathologies and disorders. He focuses on a role of chronic viral and bacterial infections in causing age-related diseases and premature aging. Additionally, he develops and implements novel systemic immunotherapy methods for late stage cancer patients
Criticism and responses
Some observers have questioned the scientific credibility of Alibek's recent work and his motivations:- In a September 2003 news release, Alibek and another professor suggested, based on their laboratory research, that smallpox vaccination might increase a person's immunity to HIV. The work was touted by GMU but was rejected after peer-review by the Journal of the American Medical AssociationJournal of the American Medical AssociationThe Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
and LancetThe LancetThe Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
and is no longer being pursued. According to smallpox expert and former White House science advisor Donald A. Henderson, "This is a theory that… does not hold up at all, and it does not make any sense from a biologic point of view…This idea ... was straight off the wall. I would put no credence in it at all." However, in May 2010, Dr. Alibek and co-authors proved their case by publishing the results of effective suppression of HIV replication in the blood of individuals immunized against smallpox: Weinstein R, Weinstein M, Alibek K et al., "Significantly reduced CCR5-tropic HIV-1 replication in vitro in cells from subjects previously immunized with Vaccinia Virus".
- Alibek and colleagues have sought to develop a product that would protect against an array of deadly viruses and bacteria, rather than just a single organism. In his lab, mice had survived doses of smallpox and anthrax. His "cocktail approach" -- mixing more than one drug with other ingredients—was touted at news conferences in 2002 and 2004 by US Representative H. James Saxton (R-N.J.), perhaps Alibek’s major government benefactor, as "a potential new defense against bioterrorism". But this unconventional scientific approach is very difficult to assess accurately and has not withstood scientific peer review. In 2006, Dr. Alibek published this concept in one of major peer-reviewed journals in the US: Alibek K and G Liu (2006), "Biodefense shield and avian influenza", Emerging Infectious DiseasesEmerging Infectious DiseasesEmerging Infectious Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is in the public domain and is published monthly by the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases...
. This principle is widely accepted now for developing novel antiviral preparations.
- Alibek has used his notoriety to promote "Dr. Ken Alibek's Immune System Support Formula," a dietary supplementDietary supplementA dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
sold over the Internet. The concoction of vitamins, minerals, and a proprietary bacterial mix — a month's supply of which cost $59.95 plus tax and shipping — will purportedly “bolster the immune system”.
- Alibek resigned as executive director of GMU’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases in September 2006, despite his position as a tenured and distinguished professor. A University spokeswoman confirmed his resignation, but declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his departure. According to a 2007 Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article, “Alibek said the college administration had grown displeased with his company's role in sharing grant-funded research. The university, he said, requested that he dismantle or leave AFG Biosolutions. He chose to resign from George Mason.”
- Some experts question Alibek's characterizations of the bioterriorism threats. Some have asserted that Alibek has a vested interest in raising fears as he profits from government contracts related to countering bioterrorism. Retired Army major general and physician Philip K. Russell, while impressed by Alibek’s knowledge of the former Soviet Union's production of anthrax, "began to think that Ken was more fanciful than precise in some of his recollections" where the genetically engineered smallpox was concerned. Russell also remarked with regard to “…the issue of putting EbolaEbolaEbola virus disease is the name for the human disease which may be caused by any of the four known ebolaviruses. These four viruses are: Bundibugyo virus , Ebola virus , Sudan virus , and Taï Forest virus...
genes into smallpox virus. That was viewed, at least in many of our minds, as somewhat fanciful. And probably not true." Biodefense principles he developed and published are widely accepted in the US. E.g. Alibek K, and C Bailey (2004), "BioShield or biogap?", Biosecur Bioterror; 2(2):132-3]]
Biographical chronology
- 2009 Founder, International Medical Research Center Maxwell US for therapy of late stage onclologic and other chronic diseases
- 2008 Chairman, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy, the Institute of Ecology and Medicine
- 2007 Professor of the Institute of Ecology and Medicine, Ukraine and Lecturer for the National University of Ukraine
- 2006 CEO and President of MaxWell Biocorporation LLC (US/Ukraine)
- Served on over 35 doctoral committees (PhD) and two Doctor of Sciences committees both in Russia and the United States
- From 2000 to 2006 BBC’s “Historic Figures”
- 2005 Lecturer for “Russian-American Security Program of Harvard University’s John Kennedy Center for Government Studies
- 2005 Senior Fellow, Center for Advanced Defense Studies, Washington DC
- 2004 Outstanding faculty member, George Mason University
- 2003 Consultant to the government of Singapore on BW threat and defense
- 2002 Distinguished and tenured professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, George Mason University
- Multiple written appreciations from various branches of the United States government for continued support in the field of national security
- Multiple invitations to speak for national and international symposia and conferences
- 2002 Business Forward Magazine Award: “Deals of the Year” for one of the biggest federal contracts for small businesses
- 2001 President of AFG Biosolutions, Inc. ( formerly “Advanced Biosystems, Inc”)
- 2000 Corporate vice president of Analex Corporation
- 2000 Authored the “Biohazard” book – published in more than 20 countries including US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Taiwan, etc.
- 1999 Chief Scientist of Analex Corporation (formerly Hadron, Inc)
- 1994 Barkley Medal - awarded by the US government in recognition of distinguished public service and contribution to world peace
- 1990 Colonel of Soviet Armed Forces (May 5)
- 1990 Doctor of Sciences in Biotechnology
- 1988 First deputy director of Main Directorate Biopreparat – chief scientist of BW threat program
- 1987 Director of scientific directorate of Main Directorate Biopreparat
- 1984 Medal “For Battlefield Services” of Soviet Armed Forces
- 1984 PhD in Medical Microbiology
- 1983 Military commander of BW threat research and development base, USSR
- 1975 Doctor of Medicine – Military Medicine
Pre-defection
Alibek published more than 80 articles in classified journals on the development of new types of biological weapons and on medical aspects of biodefense prior to his defection to the United States.Post-defection
Books- Alibek, Ken and Steven Handelman (1999), BiohazardBiohazard (book)Biohazard, subtitled The Chilling True Story of the Largest Covert Biological Weapons Program in the World - Told from Inside by the Man Who Ran It, is the title of a 1999 book by former Soviet biological warfare researcher Ken Alibek that purports to expose the former Soviet Union's extensive...
: The Chilling True Story of the Largest Covert Biological Weapons Program in the World - Told from Inside by the Man Who Ran It, Random House, ISBN 0-385-33496-6. - "The Anthrax Vaccine: Is It safe? Does it Work?" (2002), Reviewer. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., Institute of Medicine .
- Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities (2002), Workshop Summary, Contributor. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., Institute of Medicine .
- Weinstein, R.S. and K. Alibek (2003), Biological and Chemical Terrorism: A Guide for Healthcare Providers and First Responders, Thieme Medical Publishing, New York.
- Alibek, K., et al. (2003), Biological Weapons, Bio-Prep, Louisiana, Jan.
- Fong, I. and K. Alibek (2005),"Bioterrorism and Infectious Agents: A New Dilemma for the 21st Century", Springer.
- Fong, I. and K. Alibek (2006), New and Evolving Infections of the 21st Century, Springer.
Book chapters
- ”Firepower in the Lab: Automation in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases and Bioterrorism” (2001), Chapter 15 of Biological Weapons: Past, Present, and Future, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., Institute of Medicine.
- Jane's Chem-Bio Handbook (2002), Second Edition, F. R. Sidell, W. C. Patrick, T. R. Dashiell, K. Alibek, Jane’s Information Group, Alexandria, VA.
- K. Alibek, C. Lobanova, "Modulation of Innate Immunity to Protect Against Biological Weapon Threat" (2006), In: Microorganisms and Bioterrorism, Springer.
Monographs
- Weinstein R, Weinstein M, Alibek K et al., "Significantly reduced CCR5-tropic HIV-1 replication in vitro in cells from subjects previously immunized with Vaccinia Virus", BMC Immunology 2010 May 18;11(1):23.
- Alibek K, Grechaniy L, Klimenko T, Kucheryavenko E., "Use of endogenous modulators of nonspecific immunity for the treatment of prevention of a wide range of infectious diseases". International Conference: 21st Century pharmaceutical production and health care research and delivery in the CIS, Washington, DC (US), May 28, 2009 pp 212–229
- Tan Y, Kusuma C, St John L, Vu H, Alibek K, Wu A., "Induction of authography by anthrax lethal toxin", Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2009 Feb 6;379(2):293-7
- Alibek K, Grechaniy L, Klymenko T, Pashkova A. (2008), "Fifth Revolution in Medicine: On the Role of Infections in Pathogenesis of Aging and Chronic Diseases", Lik Sprava, Jan-March issue
- Alibek K, Grechana T, Grechanyiy L, et al. (2008), Link Between Intestinal Microflora and Gut Immune System: Changes Related to Age, Fiziol ZurJune;3 (54).
- Alibek K, Klimenko T, et al. (2007), "Viral Cancerogenesis: Current Point of View", Lik Sprava, Jun-Aug issue.
- Alibek K and A Pashkova (2007), "Infection as a risk factor in the atherosclerosis development: current concepts and treatment opportunities", Lik Sprava, Apr-May;(3):3-13 [In Russian] PMID: 18273960.
- Alibek K, NV Osipov and SA Nazarenko (2007), "Role of microorganisms in etiology and pathogenesis of aging", Lik Sprava Jan-Mar;(1-2):10-7. [In Russian]
- Dan Richards, Kenneth Alibek, Michael G Katze, Mark A Wainberg, Richard J Webby "Controversies in 21st century virology" Future Virology, May 2006, Vol. 1, No. 3, Pages 263–268
- Alibek K and G Liu (2006), "Biodefense shield and avian influenza", Emerg Infect DisEmerging Infectious DiseasesEmerging Infectious Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is in the public domain and is published monthly by the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases...
May;12(5):873-5. PMID: 16710964. - Karginov VA, A Yohannes, TM Robinson, K Alibek, et al. (2006), "Beta-cyclodextrin derivatives that inhibit anthrax lethal toxin", Bioorg Med Chem Jan 1;14(1):33-40. Epub 2005 Sep 19; PMID: 16169738.
- Forino M, S Johnson, TY Wong, K. Alibek, et al. (2005), "Efficient synthetic inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Jul 5;102(27):9499-504. Epub 2005 Jun 27; PMID: 15983377.
- Popov SG, Popova TG, Hopkins S, K Alibek, et al. (2005), "Effective antiprotease-antibiotic treatment of experimental anthrax", BMC Infect Dis Apr 8;5(1):25. PMID: 15819985
- Alibek K (2004), "Smallpox: a disease and a weapon", Int J Infect Dis Oct;8 Suppl 2:S3-8. PMID: 15491869
- Liu G, Q Zhai, D Schaffner, K Alibek, et al. (2004), "Bacillus alcalophilus peptidoglycan induces IFN-alpha-mediated inhibition of vaccinia virus replication" FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol; Oct 1;42(2):197-204; PMID: 15364104.
- Alibek K, and C Bailey (2004), "BioShield or biogap?", Biosecur Bioterror; 2(2):132-3. PMID: 15225408.
- Liu G, Q Zhai, DJ Schaffner, K Alibek, et al. (2004), "Prevention of lethal respiratory vaccinia infections in mice with interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma", FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, Apr 9;40(3):201-6; PMID: 15039095.
- Liu G, Zhai Q, Schaffner D, K Alibek, et al. (2004), "IL-15 induces IFN-beta and iNOS gene expression, and antiviral activity of murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells", Immunol Lett, Feb 15;91(2-3):171-8; PMID: 15019287.
- Popov SG, TG Popova, E Grene, K Alibek, et al. (2004), "Systemic cytokine response in murine anthrax", Cell Microbiol Mar;6(3):225-33; PMID: 14764106.
- Karginov VA, Robinson TM, Riemenschneider J, K Alibek, et al. (2004), "Treatment of anthrax infection with combination of ciprofloxacin and antibodies to protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis", FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, Jan 15;40(1):71-4; PMID: 14734189.
- Wu AG, Alibek D, Li YL, K Alibek, et al. (2003), "Anthrax toxin induces hemolysis: an indirect effect through polymorphonuclear cells", J Infect Dis Oct 15;188(8):1138-41. Epub 2003 Sep 30; PMID: 14551883.
- Radyuk SN, PA Mericko, TG Popova, K Alibek et al. (2003), "In vitro-generated respiratory mucosa: a new tool to study inhalational anthrax", Biochem Biophys Res Commun Jun 6;305(3):624-32.
- Klichko VI, J Miller, A Wu, K Alibek, et al. (2003), "Anaerobic induction of Bacillus anthracis hemolytic activity", Biochem Biophys Res Commun Apr 11;303(3):855-62, PMID: 12670489.
- Popov SG, Villasmil R, Bernardi J, K Alibek, et al. (2002), "Effect of Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells", FEBS Lett Sep 11;527(1-3):211-5, PMID: 12220662.
- Popov SG, Villasmil R, Bernardi J, K Alibek, et al. (2002), "Lethal toxin of Bacillus anthracis causes apoptosis of macrophages", Biochem Biophys Res Commun Apr 26;293(1):349-55, PMID: 12054607.
- K. Alibek, Bioterrorism Threat in Modern World, Abstract of presentation to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, New York, 2002.
- K. Alibek, Mighty Microbe, Defense Review, Pg. 44, Autumn, 2001.
- K. Alibek, Biological Weapons: Threat and Defense. Abstract of presentation to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland, 2000.
- Alibek K (1999), "The Soviet Union's anti-agricultural biological weapons", Ann N Y Acad Sci 894:18-9, PMID: 10681964.
- K. Alibek, Behind the mask: biological warfare, Perspective, Volume IX, Number 1, September–October 1998.
Op-Eds
- The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- “Russia’s Deadly Expertise”, March 27, 1998.
- “Smallpox Could Still Be a Danger”, May 24, 1999.
- The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
- “Russia Retains Biological Weapons Capability”, February, 2000.
- “Bioterror: A Very Real Threat”, October, 2001.
- The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
- “Anthrax under the Microscope”, with Matthew MeselsonMatthew MeselsonMatthew Stanley Meselson is an American geneticist and molecular biologist whose research was important in showing how DNA replicates, recombines and is repaired in cells. In his mature years, he has been an active chemical and biological weapons activist and consultant...
, November 5, 2002.
- “Anthrax under the Microscope”, with Matthew Meselson
Selected Congressional Testimony
- Testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, May, 1998: "Terrorist and Intelligence Operations: Potential Impact on the US Economy"
- Testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, June, 1999
- Testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, October, 1999
- Testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, May, 2000
- Testimony before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations of the Committee on Government Reform, October, 2001: "Combating Terrorism: Assessing the Threat of a Biological Weapons Attack", House Serial No. 107-103
- Testimony before the House Committee on International Relations, December, 2001: "Russia, Iraq, and Other Potential Sources of Anthrax, Smallpox, and Other Bioterrorist Weapons"
- Testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, November, 2001
- Testimony before the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, Committee on Homeland Security, US House of Representatives, July 28, 2005: "Implementing a National Biodefense Strategy"
- House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, March 1999 Biological Warfare Threats
- Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, July, 2005: "Engineering Bio-terror Agents: Lessons Learned from the Offensive US and Russian Biological Weapons Programs"