Institute of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Smolensk State Medical Academy

The Smolensk State Medical Academy was founded in 1920. Since then it has become one of the leading medical schools of Russia with General Medicine, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Pharmaceutics, Nursing, Foreign Students and Postgraduate facilities and more than 3000 students and 500 specialists graduating every year.

Rector of the Academy — Professor Igor V. Otvagin.

The Institute of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (IAC) was formed on initiative of outstanding Russian scientist, one of the founders of Russian school of clinical pharmacology and antimicrobial therapy, Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) Professor Leonid S. Stratchounski (28.06.1952 – 07.06.2005) who was the first Director of IAC. The Institute was founded at 1999 at the basis of Department of Clinical Pharmacology of Smolensk State Medical Academy. The main activities of IAC are devoted to the increase of the level of scientific research in clinical microbiology and antimicrobial chemotherapy.

Main Topics of Investigations:

• Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance of the main pathogens causing nosocomial and community-acquired infections.
• Applied and fundamental studies on mechanisms of emerging antimicrobial resistance.
• Pharmacoepidemiological and pharmacoeconomical analysis in the field of optimization of antimicrobial usage.
• Educational activities (seminars, courses, workshops in clinical microbiology and antimicrobial chemotherapy, development of the on-line information services, publications) for clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, general population and everyone who is interested in this area.

Director of IAC is Professor Roman S. Kozlov, who is also President of The Interregional Association for Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (IACMAC), Head of Center for Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistance (CMAR) of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Scientific advisor of Site Management Organization of Clinical Trials Centers (SMOCTC), Smolensk State Medical Academy.

Contact details of the Institute of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy:

Kirova str. 46A, Smolensk, 214019, Russia

Tel.: + 7 (4812) 45 06 02, 45 06 03

Fax: + 7 (4812) 45 06 12 (ext 123)

Website: www.antibiotic.ru

Education and training

Our team is made up of highly educated and well-qualified specialists. At present more than 40 MDs of different specialties working at the IAC. Most of them have been educated and trained in the world leading clinical microbiology centers and on the international education courses:

• Degrees of the Master of Science in Clinical Microbiology of University of London in 1996 — Dr R. Kozlov, in 1997 — Dr A. Dekhnich, in 1998 — Dr T. Bogdanovitch, in 2003 — Dr V. Kretchikov
• Diploma in Clinical Microbiology of University of London (1996) Dr S. Sekhine
• ESCMID Young Scientists Grants were awarded in different years to Dr A. Bedenkov, Ms  . Edelstein, M. Edelstein, Dr A. Dekhnich, Dr R. Kozlov, V. Kretchikov, Dr E. Rjabkova, Dr S. Sekhine, Dr O. Stetsiouk
• ISC Young Investigator Travel Awards in 1999 — Dr S. Sekhine, in 2001 — V. Kretchikov, in 2009 — A. Nikulin
• Training in Clinical Microbiology in Austria (Dr O. Krechikova), Finland (Dr S. Sekhine), France (Dr R. Kozlov, M. Edelstein), Denmark (Dr R. Kozlov), Sweden (Dr O. Stetsiouk, M. Edelstein), Turkey (C. Reshedko), United Kingdom (A. Narezkina)
• Training in Molecular Biology in European laboratories (M. Edelstein), USA (M. Pimkin, A. Narezkina, I. Palagin ), Canada (A. Nikulin)
• Course in Medical Mycology in the Netherlands (2003) — A. Veselov
• SHEA/ESGNI Training Course in Hospital Epidemiology. Netherlands (1999) — Dr O. Stetsiouk, Belgium (2002) — Dr D. Galkin
• Seminar “Introduction to Clinical Drug Research” (Austria) — Dr O. Sietsiouk
• Courses on Financial Management (United Kingdom) and on Applied Pharmocoeconomics (USA) — Dr. O. Rozenson

All specialists of IAC are trained on courses on Good Clinical Practice (CCP) in Russia and abroad every 5 years.

Clinical Basis

IAC is closely linked with major medical institutions of Smolensk and Smolensk Region which allows to enroll the patients for clinical trials from all hospitals and out-patient clinics of our city with total numbers of beds more than 4,500. Among them:

• Pulmonology — 220 beds
• Surgery — 365 beds
• Intensive care units — 32 beds
• Urology — 100 beds
• Otolaryngology — 70 beds
• Paediatric departments — 520 beds
• 9 adult outpatient departments — 2995 visits per day
• 7 paediatric outpatient departments — 276 visits per day

Laboratory Basis

During clinical trials the Institute cooperates with the clinical laboratory of Smolensk Regional Hospital which continuously participates in the Russian and International External Quality Assurance Programs:

• Federal Centre External Quality Assurance (Russia)
• Institut fur Standardisierung und Documentation im medizinischen Laboratorium — INSTAND (Germany)

Clinical Trials Group

Since its foundation IAC is actively involved in clinical trials of II-IV phases of antimicrobial agents for the variety of indications such as community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, acute bacterial sinusitis, tonsillopharyngitis, skin and soft tissues infections, urinary tract infections, intra-abdominal infections, HBV, HCV and HSV-infections, etc.

The fundamental working principle of IAC is striving for maintenance of the standards of Good Clinical Practice (CCP). Application of the uniform Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), education of investigators, standardization of clinical and microbiology laboratory investigations with established programs of internal and external quality control are used to achieve the above stated aim.

All clinical trials conducted by IAC undergo ethical expertise by the local Independent Ethics Committee of SSMA from the planning stage until their completion.

At present more than 20 MDs working at the Institute of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and two study nurses have special training and experience in the conduction of clinical trials in accordance with the ICH/CCP principles. Physicians from hospitals and out-patient clinics of Smolensk (CPs, pediatricians, clinical pharmacologists, surgeons, gynecologists, etc.) working in collaboration with IAC have passed GCP training as well.

Modern communication facilities (digital lines, tone dialing phones, cell phones, faxes, E-mail, Internet access, etc.) enable to receive and deliver information in timely manner. Several special services were developed to fulfill the needs of clinical trials: data storage and archiving, transportation, accounting and legal support.