History

Federal State Enterprise Shchelkovo Biocombinat was established as part of Kashintsevskaya anti-plague Station. In May 1924 it was relocated from Moscow to the former estate of  S.I. Chetverikov, the owner of Gorodischenskaya Fine Cloth Factory.

The estate consisted of two wooden master houses, livestock facilities and several residential buildings for the servants.

The enterprise founders were A.P. Uranov, professor at the State Institute of Experimental Veterinary, S.T. Shennikov, R.A. Zion, A.M. Romanov, assistants of Institute, and other employees of the Swine Disease Department. In 1929 the Station had only 30 employees. The annual overall production was equal to 1000 liters of immune blood and 100 liters of swine fever virus.

The first stage of the factory construction was completed ahead of schedule, on December 5, 1932. By that time, the factory produced 12 thousand liters of immune blood and 1000 liters of swine fever virus.

The construction was completely finished in 1937.

In 1938 the factory started developing its portfolio of veterinary biologicals. To do it successfully the factory established close contacts with the country’s leading research institutes, including VIEV, VGNKI, NIVI Voronezh, Research Institutes named after Gamaleja, Mechnikov, Tarasevich. Many factory experts completed their internship at those facilities.

On January 30, 1941 the Factory acquired the VIEV facility, an FMD vaccine producer located on the Fox Island in the Kalinin region. It served as a basis for establishing Shop # 12 producing an FMD vaccine.

On March 20, 1942 the Factory received the VGNKI Farm located in the village of Monihino in Istra District. It accommodated the factory’s subsidiary farm until 1946.

In October 1941 when the military front approached Moscow Region most of the company’s equipment, serum horses and employees were evacuated to the city of Omsk.  Even though on October 16 the biologics production was suspended, the factory itself never stopped working. N.A. Mikhailov, the former head of the Planning Department, was appointed to run the Factory during the evacuation of its Director, M.T.Korotkov. Toghether with M.V. Galkina, the Chief Doctor, he organized protection of the facilities and remaining equipment. Groups of militia men and volunteers that had helped to erect fortifications were in charge of fire and chemical defense measures.

  As soon as the enemy forces positioned around Moscow were defeated, the factory underwent a large scale reconstruction. That resulted in constructing a new production facility that accommodated a preparatory shop, a freeze drying shop, warehouses and all the shop floors producing dry vaccines. The old building was refurbished to produce an FMD vaccine. Also, a titrant was built to control an FMD vaccine, as well as a stimulating antiseptic shop and a new boiler. It took a short time to restore production of the entire range of biologics produced before the war.

  In 1969 the Soviet Government passed a decree to reconstruct the factory and install foreign equipment that would allow to produce 50 million units of a 3-valent FMD vaccine. The reconstruction was completed in 1975. It led to building additional 77 thousand square meters of production facilities, installing 5000 units of imported and domestic equipment, opening an immunization department with clinics able to accommodate 800 heads of cattle, 900 sheep, a nursery to grow 20 thousand guinea pigs and 100 thousand white mice. Additionally,  two new boilers, a power plant, a 6 thousand volt switchboard, a reverse water supply station and an automatic 1000 numbers telephone station were built. The factory’s power capacity increased  tenfold.

In 1990, production of an FMD vaccine reached 75 million units. The Factory also launched production of dry complement for a complement fixation test, Newcastle disease vaccine derived from La Sota and Bor-74 strains, Brucella vaccine derived from strain 82, an antigen and antiserum to diagnose horse infectious anemia, Rabies vaccine from Shchelkovo-51 strain, Equine Rhinopneumonitis vaccine, etc.

In 1976-1990 gross production of biologics increased 5 times and reached 23 million rubles.

Apart from developing its own production the factory helped to solve many social issues. In 1990 and 1995 it built two apartment blocks of 80 apartments and 160 apartments consequently. Therefore the housing issue for factory employees was successfully solved.

2000 saw the refurbishment of the main laboratory building,  2002 – reconstruction of the boiler’s oil handling system.

Increased production of rabies vaccine required to adjust vacant space of the FMD production department for the production of rabies vaccine. The same department has been reconstructed to produce infusion solutions for medical and veterinary purposes. Bosch filling line was installed to pack the products.

In December 2002 in order to get ISO-9000 certification the company started upgrading its production. Production of rabies and poultry vaccines was brought in line with GMP requirements.

The company employs over 650 highly qualified professionals: biochemists, veterinarians, technologists, engineers, technicians, laboratory assistants. Implementation of GMP standards at all stages of the production cycle guarantees the highest product quality that meets the international standards. To developing its product portfolio and improving technologies Shchelkovo Biocombinat closely cooperates with leading Russian and international research institutes.

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