In the Bangor Daily News article the Sun Journal published on Sept 9, 2013 titled “Report says Winslow company sold Syria vaccines that were stockpiled as chemical weapon precursor” you state that “a Winslow company’s illegal sale of vaccines used on birds in the early 1990’s has been linked by the New York Times to past efforts by Syria to build up its chemical weapons program.”
Maine Biological Laboratories was falsely linked to this article and has never had any access to or dealings with chemical weapons or chemical weapon programs.
The New York Times started this reactionary reporting by linking, inaccurately, an incident that occurred more than 10 years ago regarding the sale of a completely harmless vaccine for poultry with the killing of innocent people by the most atrocious means possible, chemical warfare. This is, in itself, highly detrimental but to have the local media continue to propagate this misinformation is a gross injustice to the 120-plus Maine people that work at our company, as well as the community in which we reside.
The BDN story references two cases against Maine Biological Laboratories. The first case, which occurred in 2001 and 2002, involved four shipments of inactivated
Newcastle disease virus vaccine for chickens to Syria. This was a regulatory infraction and not a felony. The issue was resolved with the Department of Commerce for a $100,000 fine ($25,000 for each shipment) in 2005.
Neither MBL nor Lohmann Animal Health International (LAHI) has sold any product to Syria since 2002. It was not illegal at the time, nor is it now, to sell this vaccine. However export to Syria required special permits that the company failed to obtain at the time. This was a misinterpretation on the part of the company of a very complex regulation and not a willful illegal act.
The Newcastle disease vaccine in question has been manufactured by MBL since the early 1970s and is still sold in more than 70 countries, including the United States. It contained no living organisms, was sterile, and contained only inactivated antigen and mineral oil.
The vaccine is used throughout the United States and most countries around the world that raise poultry to keep them healthy. The vaccine is tested to make sure no live organisms are present. This identical product is manufactured and sold by other vaccine manufacturers around the world as well. There is no possible way anything within the vaccine can be used to produce biological or chemical weapons. An animal health products distribution company in Syria purchased the inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine from MBL to control the disease in Syria’s poultry flocks. As with any vaccine, its function is to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease.
The second case involved a judgment against MBL, not for exporting, but for importing an avian influenza virus from Saudi Arabia in 1998 without a permit. A custom made vaccine was produced for the poultry operation to protect their flocks. This resulted in four former executives of MBL being sentenced to one year in prison and a fine to the company of $500,000. The vaccine made contained no living organisms, was sterile and in no way could be used to produce biological or chemical weapons.
Lohmann Animal Health has a strict policy of not tolerating any illegal or unethical activities. All employees involved in the above two cases were subsequently terminated. With these facts presented, the sensationalized linking of a successful Maine-based company with dedicated, honest, hardworking employees to chemical or biological warfare is completely unjust and unfounded. It serves no purpose but to create headlines that would sell papers.
In the process our company’s employees, customers and community were damaged. Due to your article violent actions have been suggested against the company.
An apology, retraction and correction, however presented, is most definitely due to Lohmann Animal Health International and its employees.
Frank Sterner is CEO of Lohmann Animal Health International in Winslow.
Editor’s note: While the Sun Journal ran a Bangor Daily News version of this story, similar versions appeared in Maine’s four largest daily newspapers, including the company’s hometown newspaper, the Waterville Sentinel.
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