GENETIC ENGINEERED ORGANISM RELEASE ILLEGALLY IN ARGENTINA WASHINGTON -- The National Institute of Health has been petitioned to immediately investigate and impose sanctions against an American geneic engineering company which is releasing a recombinant DNA vacine in Argentina without notifying either the United States or Argentine governments. Jeremy Rifkin, who heads the Foundation on Economic Trends, a public watchdog on the geneic engineering field, charged that the Winstar Institute of Philadelphia was conducting tests of the vaccine without complying with the NIH guidelines on recombinant DNA research. Rifkin's petition calls for the NHI to investigate Wistar's violations of Part III-a of the guidelines, which are applicable to experiments and projects done abraod to to impose significant penalties against Wistar. "If no significant sanctions are imposed on Winstar Institute, other institutions will follow its example and will engage in irresponsible 'shopping' for countries with little or no biotechnology experience or knowledge to regulate it in which to conduct their experiments," charged Rifkin. Public reaction to this field test has been growing since it was first disclosed two months ago. Argentina halted the tests and has repeatedly expesssed outrage about the content and manner of Winstar's action. Winstar has publicly stated that U.S. regulations do not apply to field tests conducted outside of the U.S. Winstar has received millions of dollars in NHI funds and at this time the NHI appears to be ignor the company's viloation of its own guidelines. *********** For more information contact Foundation on Economic Treads, 1130 17th St.,NW, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036 - Telephone (202) 466-2823 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 30, Washington