özlem türeci interview

DER SPIEGEL: Either way, for the time being it looks as though we have far less of the vaccine than we had hoped. DER SPIEGEL: Your background is in academic research, but now you are negotiating things like logistics, purchasing and supply chains. ; The vaccine, which was found to be 95% effective in … The […] And given the importance of a vaccine for getting the economy up and running again, she and her husband, BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin, could sweep up an Economics award, too. As a trained physician and immunologist, Dr. has led her own research group with Prof. Ugur Sahin at the University of Mainz, Germany, since 2000. Investors not only have to be patient until an investment pays off – they also have to put up a lot of money right at the beginning. This is an area in which we will be particularly active with BioNTech. Who decides if you both have a completely different opinion on an important issue in the company? Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin. But when we submit a study dossier for a clinical trial, it takes up to three months in Germany to get a response. It had never brought a product to market. She is the chief medical officer of BioNTech and lecturer at the University of Mainz. Biontech. I trust him 100 percent.”. We called them “ideal antibodies” or IMABs. Şahin: There was an assumption that many other companies would produce vaccines. Our definition of "getting to the patient" is not doing a clinical trial and then saying: Now I've treated 20 people and generated data. We want to continue with our innovation ... Türeci: ... until it becomes the new standard. DER SPIEGEL: Mr. Şahin, you have been teaching experimental oncology at the University of Mainz for many years. But you shouldn't forget that simply preventing an outbreak of the illness has an effect on the further development of the pandemic, because people who develop symptoms through an outbreak of the illness are contagious for longer. For our COVID-19 vaccine, it only took three days. Why didn't Brussels accept your offer? The EU only placed its order in November – and only for 300 million doses. I understood that what we can offer cancer patients at the hospitals is not much, and we could do more by bringing new discoveries to the patient’s bedside, , making it the biggest biotech deal in Germany so far and putting its unique antibody technology one step closer to patients. Many of our colleagues in biotechnology are pleased about our success because it is a benefit for the entire industry and will lead to new investments. Özlem Türeci & Ugur Sahin, and a friendship with a Greek Pharma CEO. 2008 gründeten das Ehepaar Uğur Şahin und Özlem Türeci mit Christoph Huber in Mainz die Firma Biontech, um nach Medikamenten und Technologien für Krebstherapien zu forschen.Jetzt hat Biontech mit seinem US-Partner Pfizer einen Impfstoff entwickelt, der laut ersten Studien einen über 90-prozentigen Schutz vor Covid-19 bieten soll. Şahin/Türeci have been interviewed by the British press three times. You first attracted attention three years ago with a successful study on a vaccine against cancer. I think we need a fundamental discussion about how to modernize decades-old drug development routines so they don't become a bottleneck for medical innovation. Şahin: We are on the path to detecting and treating cancer earlier. How do you plan to become a global pharmaceutical company? Türeci: There’s another problem in our industry. DER SPIEGEL: The vaccine produced by the U.S. company Moderna is also based on mRNA technology and has demonstrated an efficacy of 95 percent. The two seemed so relaxed that it was easy to forget all that was going on around them. One focused on a special type of antibody that, in contrast to the normal paradigm of blocking a function, instead meant to activate immune effectors and attract them to the tumor. DER SPIEGEL: In contrast to the United States, it is still unusual in Germany for academic researchers to start companies. The question is what the regulatory authorities would say. Biontech. On top of all that, she’s an Executive Board Member of the European Cancer Research Association (CIMT). Türeci: Otherwise, many things wouldn’t reach the patient's bedside. Özlem Türeci is a German immunologist, businessperson and the Chief Medical Officer of BioNTech. DER SPIEGEL: Do you ever take any vacation? BioNTech, which Dr. Sahin founded with his wife, Dr. Özlem Türeci, was mostly focused on cancer treatments. But every now and then, we have had brief moments to reflect and absorb events, such as when colleagues sent us photos from the first vaccinations. Şahin, 55, was awarded the German Cancer Prize in 2019. The only way to really get a discovery, an innovation to the patient is to make sure that it is properly developed and becomes a validated, marketed product. The first steps were certainly a bit bumpy. Özlem Türeci also has Turkish roots: Her father, a doctor, had come to Germany from Istanbul to work in a hospital here. Most experts would have been happy with a result exceeding 70 percent. Many pharma companies have programs where they try to connect to academic institutions and biotechs. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla: "Uğur is a very, very unique individual. 'He cares only about science. From the very beginning, we have been saying that we see ourselves as a global company and will make our vaccine available worldwide. ", BioNTech Founders Türeci and Şahin on the Battle against COVID-19, "To See People Finally Benefitting from Our Work Is Really Moving", Researchers Explore Promising New Therapies for COVID-19, The Unprecedented Challenge of Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution. In einem Interview erzählte Türeci, dass sie als Kind eigentlich Nonne werden wollte. We made it very clear at the beginning of the partnership that this would be our first product and that we were not simply looking for a licensing deal, but a true collaboration. And there is also a risk of personnel shortages should there be a COVID-19 outbreak in our facilities. It had never brought a product to market. But it's not as if there are unused, specialized factories sitting around the world that can start producing the vaccine tomorrow in the quality necessary. Last year, BioNTech sold shares to the public; in recent months, its market value has soared past $21 billion, making the couple among the richest in Germany. There’s No Need! Die Medizinerin Özlem Türeci arbeitete lange in der Krebsforschung. Dezember in den USA erstmals zugelassen wurde. As a trained physician and immunologist, Dr. Özlem Türeci has led her own research group with Prof. Ugur Sahin at the University of Mainz, Germany, since 2000. Hence the question: How can we speed things up for cancer drugs as well? Angefangen hat es mit dem Kampf gegen Krebs. As we have just seen, drug development can take place very quickly. The FDA granted emergency authorization to Pfizer and BioNTech 's coronavirus vaccine on Friday evening. He cares only about science.". Türeci: If you are speaking literally about a single minute, then yes. If the press coverage is anything to go by, BioNTech’s chief medical officer, Özlem Türeci, is on track for at least two Nobel Prizes: Medicine, and Peace. The couple doesn't own a car. So we started to develop several cancer immunotherapy platforms. DER SPIEGEL: It also hasn't yet been determined for how long immunity lasts, whether after an infection or after receiving the vaccine. It all started with the fight against cancer. Biontech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci. In a situation where a quick decision is required, this can cost time,” Prof Sahin said in an extensive interview with Spiegel. It serves as a messenger, carrying construction blueprints from a cell's genetic material to its protein factories. Şahin: We have begun discussing the issue with the authorities. Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin have developed a vaccine against coronavirus. I strongly believe in individualized therapies. In the medium term, we see ourselves as an immunotherapy company. Şahin: In addition, unlike the IT industry, investments in biotechnology don’t pay off after three to four years, but only after 10 to 15 years. Germany’s over-the-top pride was quickly followed by irritation. Am 18. Immediately after it was discovered that the co-founders of BioNTech, oncologists Dr. Özlem Türeci and Prof. Uğur Şahin, were children of migrants from Turkey, the axis of the debate shifted to the lingering questions about migration, integration, diversity, and discrimination in Germany (and beyond). As she continues at Ganymed by supporting the new owners in their takeover of late-stage antibody development, she is also active as a Scientific Advisor for, Türeci has also played a key role in the establishment of the Mainz biotech ecosystem through the, of new research facilities to support public-private partnerships in 2014 and as Chairman of the, (Cluster for Individualized Immune Intervention). In 1984, he graduated from the Erich-Kästner-Gymnasium in Cologne, the first child of Turkish immigrant workers to attend the college-prep high school. The Germans focus more on perfection, the finale. There will be a lot of candidates for new drugs, largely because the U.S. and China have invested heavily in biotechnology. I wanted to understand things, down to the purest and smallest detail. März 2021 werden sie für ihren Unternehmergeist, ihre Innovationskraft und ihr gesellschaftliches Verantwortungsbewusstsein mit dem Axel Springer Award ausgezeichnet. It’s the beginning of a revolution. In other words: We believe it could be 2023/24. At the time, Dr. Sahin and his company, BioNTech, were little known outside the small world of European biotechnology start-ups. They have said that they are receiving hundreds of interview requests daily. Türeci, meanwhile, is bustling through the laboratories in a white doctor's smock. There was apparently an attitude of: We'll get enough, it won't be that bad, we have everything under control. Türeci once described herself as being a "Prussian Turk.” Still, the couple gets annoyed these days with the frequently told anecdote that they still went in to the lab on the day of their wedding in 2002 to continue working. Şahin: Not even once. Şahin: We have the opportunity and the ambition to do it on our own. They quickly noticed that Germany’s world-class science is too rarely represented in the medical field. Türeci: That depends on what you define as a global pharmaceutical company. We are performing tests to determine if our vaccine can also neutralize theses variations and will soon know more. One is funding. But academic research was not enough for her, so 16 years ago she started her own company, Ganymed Pharmaceuticals. DER SPIEGEL: Are the authorities ultimately more of a limiting factor than the number of researchers you have working for BioNTech? We could simply replace the genetic information for the current virus antigen with the new, mutated version. In 2008, Ugur Sahin and his wife Özlem Türeci teamed up with Christoph Huber to establish the company Biontech in Mainz with a view to conducting research into drugs and technologies for cancer therapies. In a DER SPIEGEL interview, BioNTech founders Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin discuss the development of the world's first COVID-19 vaccine, what that success means to … An der Goldgrube 12 lautet die symbolträchtige Adresse des Unternehmens Biontech, das an einem sehr erfolgversprechenden Impfstoff gegen das Coronavirus arbeitet. You have to be humble and take care of all those things that you always thought other people should handle. After we. In some ways, being proud of … And we expanded our production capacities concurrently with the clinical development of the vaccine so that we could produce more than a billion doses. Even as a kid, I couldn’t wrap the idea around my head that people with cancer looked healthy but were terminally ill. And that it was just allowed to happen. ", "To see people finally benefitting from our work is really moving. Die Welt schaut derzeit voller Hoffnung auf eine Straße in Mainz. The virus had complete freedom and months of time to optimize. Many experts believe that the BioNTech vaccine has opened the door to a new disruptive technology – a new class of medications that could revolutionize the medical profession in the next two decades. That sounds like a 100-hour work week. Don't Miss Any Update With Our Weekly Newsletter! Along with her husband Ugur Sahin who is the CEO of the same biotech company, they developed the COVID-19 vaccine in the shortest possible time. Ugur Sahin, der nicht nur Vorstandsvorsitzender von Biontech ist, sondern gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Prof. Özlem Türeci auch wissenschaftlicher Treiber des Unternehmens, stellte sich im Live-Interview all diesen Fragen. Biontech The Biontech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci gave a tentative, personal insight into their lives for the first time in an interview with “Spiegel”. I was an early believer in the idea that our immune system should be able to fight cancer. It's possible to escape that even in the digital age. Have you been able to find a minute to reflect on all of that? Özlem Türeci. Or to trigger the immune system to produce antibodies against a virus. In a worst-case scenario, will we have to get vaccinated three times a year? Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, the husband-and-wife dream team behind the Pfizer vaccine. Sehen Sie hier die Aufzeichnung des kompletten Interviews: Even if there are several mutations, the actual structure of the virus antigen is changed by less than 1 percent. Think of it like this: The triggered immune response recognizes the so-called virus antigens at many different locations. Türeci: It's the same the other way around. We could really use that in Europe. We both see it as our job to train such experts. But in Germany, many people are uncomfortable with these kinds of rankings. Over 150,000 monthly visitors use it to keep an eye on the business and innovations in biotechnology. Özlem Türeci and Professor Uğur Şahin. Ultimately, this is all hardcore science. In the U.S., it's enough to just present the hubcap and everyone congratulates you for your prospective innovative vehicle. It's not surprising that many people are expecting that Germany will receive a special allocation of the vaccine. Şahin: ... and can quickly provide a hundred million dollars in startup funding, which is ultimately nothing more than a kind of subsidy. Individualized therapy, by definition, has to be the best option for cancer, which is a very heterogeneous disease, inter- and intra-individually. Şahin: At the moment, we are mainly working in two areas: infectious diseases and cancer research. That won't be easy. Advertisement. And I see a realistic chance that we will succeed in fundamentally changing how cancer is treated. DER SPIEGEL: The question is whether you can do it on your own or whether one of the pharmaceutical giants will acquire you first? DER SPIEGEL: How many times has the head of Pfizer try to buy BioNTech? And yet few other industries have been spurned to such a degree by German banks and financiers and so neglected by politicians. The first couple of research Türeci and Şahin: "We're doing well.". “Özlem Türeçi and Uğur Şahin, who found the vaccine in Germany, held a video conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But it isn’t just an issue for Europe. Are other vaccine technologies not up to the task of defeating COVID-19? The two remain calm and focused. Şahin: No, I wouldn't put it that way. It was conducted via Zoom from their Mainz apartment. Our doctoral programs revolve around just that. SARS-CoV-2 is more difficult to deactivate. It remains a huge undertaking. That means that an even greater effect could be achieved with a third injection, perhaps one year later. DER SPIEGEL: One discussion that is harder for you to avoid is the one about your Turkish roots. There will surely be some product candidates in those areas in the next year or two. Biontech The Biontech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci gave a tentative, personal insight into their lives for the first time in an interview with “Spiegel”. (imago images / Sämmer) Özlem Türeci und Uğur Şahin heißen die Forscher, die einen Coronaimpfstoff entwickelt haben. DER SPIEGEL: To whom are you most grateful for your current success? Dr. Özlem Türeci Dr. Sahin and Dr. Türeci sold Ganymed for $1.4 billion in 2016. I absolutely think that ecosystems in which companies work together with academia are the key to ensuring that innovation is translated. DER SPIEGEL: Would you be able to rapidly adapt your vaccine if the virus undergoes a significant mutation? Dr Özlem Türeci and Dr Uğur Şahin, who both have parents who came to Germany from Turkey in the late 1960s. I think that we will be able to cover the most vulnerable groups in Germany in the coming months, particularly the elderly. Dr Özlem Türeci and Dr Uğur Şahin, who both have parents who came to Germany from Turkey in the late 1960s. And now this sudden fame. Not only methods, but also mindsets for the general population. That's the day, BioNTech, the medical research company the couple founded, reported the first global breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic: The company's vaccine candidate BNT162b2, developed in Mainz, Germany, demonstrated more than 90 percent efficacy in clinical studies. DER SPIEGEL: Your partner Pfizer is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Our refined vaccine generation, which will be stable at much higher temperatures, could be available by late summer. The material things in life obviously make little impression on you. The founders of BioNTech, the husband-wife team of Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, are behind the company’s successful launch of the first Covid-19 vaccine to be authorized in the West. The brothers earned billions when they sold their firm. The trajectories I see in other fields support it. Patients don’t have a median overall survival longer than one year after diagnosis, and Herceptin elongates the median overall survival only for a couple of weeks, which shows how desperate the situation is. DER SPIEGEL: Is it also possible that we'll end up with a vaccine shortage if a lack of raw materials develops or if a batch is flawed? That is why we are currently working with Pfizer on whether and how we can increase production. It helped that we have over two decades of experience in immune engineering, triggering immune responses in the body. Production facilities could then be converted to make vaccine instead of aspirin, for example. DER SPIEGEL: In addition to your practical training as a doctor in the hospital, you also studied mathematics. What is still missing are curative procedures for early-stage patients. Labiotech.eu is the leading digital media covering the European Biotech industry. His father worked at the Ford plant in the city. And we have to consider how we can create structures in Europe to be competitive in that arena. I believe that an important part of dealing with cancer will be to invest more in early detection of cancer. The focus should be on finding solutions that strengthen the economy without putting people in danger. Seit April 2020 forscht er hier mit seiner Frau Özlem Türeci am Impfstoff BNT162b2, einem Coronavirus-Impfstoff. The data will show us what must be done. One very strong trend is cell therapies like, Europe Falls Behind in Efforts to Track Covid-19 Variants. Şahin: Not when it comes to the efficacy of the vaccine. She, a chief physician; he, the CEO of BioNTech – married for the last 18 years. Şahin: I also always wanted to become a doctor and a researcher. Through a mutation, the virus can make some of these locations unrecognizable, but it can't change itself so fundamentally that it becomes invisible to the immune system. Here, too, new solutions are required for problems that have never been encountered before. Years of research are paying off for Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci in oither ways. Will it be possible to adjust the serum in the near future such that it can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures? But we didn't know if the virus was at all susceptible to a vaccine. COVID-19 did not yet exist. Şahin: We wanted to develop immunotherapies for treating cancer. Şahin: Yes, we both supervised doctoral students who now work in key positions in the company. The BioNTech couple has been well known in the medical community for some time, particularly among cancer experts. Her father, who immigrated to Germany from Istanbul, worked there as a surgeon in the small Catholic St.-Elisabeth-Stift hospital and also ran his own practice. Others say such aspects of identity shouldn’t play any role. We have brought Pfizer on board as a global partner and we are expanding internationally ourselves. We very convincingly showed that our antibody, IMAB362, contributes a highly significant increase in median overall survival. And a glimmer of hope. Years of research are paying off for Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci in oither ways. That would stem the pandemic much more rapidly. Or whether such kinds of "discrimination" should be forbidden. Many countries and the EU came up with the idea of putting together a basket from a variety of producers. Şahin: I do believe that we could have an inspirational effect. I was eager to learn more about her, so I talked to Türeci to get the story behind her successful track record and her expert perspective on the future of cancer immunotherapy.
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