The couple behind Biontech, which helped crack one of the first Covid vaccines, soon find themselves on target. Uğur Şahin (57) and Özlem Türeci (55) founded Biontech primarily to work on new mRNA technology to fight cancer. Now they are confident that their first cancer-fighting vaccine will be widely available before 2030.
As the coronavirus pandemic runs its course, the couple has put cancer research on the back burner and focused on a Covid vaccine. To do this, Biontech collaborated with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Professors are now convinced that the lessons learned from the pandemic are accelerating mRNA cancer research.
“What we’ve been developing for the development of cancer vaccines for decades was the tailwind for the development of the Covid 19 vaccine,” Türeci said on a BBC talk show on Sunday. The Covid vaccine, which has now been developed, gives something back to the work done in the field of cancer. He learned how vaccines can be produced better and faster, and how the immune system responds to mRNA in “large numbers of people.”
“Serial breakthroughs achieved”
The experience of health authorities with mRNA vaccines through Covid and how to deal with them will “definitely accelerate our cancer vaccine,” says Türeci. Asked when cancer vaccines will be widely available, Şahin said it would be “before 2030”.
Türeci: “We feel that curing cancer or changing the lives of cancer patients is very close.” As a scientist, she tries to be humble and not make too many promises: “We’re always wary of saying we’ll find a cure for cancer.” They “made a number of breakthroughs” in the lab.
An mRNA cancer vaccine works similarly to that of Covid. The Biontech/Pfizer vaccine against Covid uses mRNA to give the body a blueprint for the coronavirus’ spike protein. This instructs cells to make copies of the protein. An mRNA cancer vaccine, on the other hand, is designed to trick a person’s body into producing antigen molecules found in their tumors, allowing the vaccine to recognize and eliminate cells that remain after surgery.
Numerous solutions in the experimental phase
Biontech isn’t the only pharmaceutical company researching a cancer vaccine. Numerous pharmaceutical companies have funds in the experimental phase. Moderna, which made its own Covid vaccines in August, said it would sue Biontech and Pfizer for patent infringement related to the Covid-19 vaccine.
Moderna states that essentially, Biontech replicates key elements of mRNA technology. Şahin explained: “We have invested 20 years in research into the development of such treatments. Of course we will fight for our intellectual property.” You researched everything yourself and independently.
The doctor couple hopes that the mRNA cancer vaccine will lead to new treatments for melanoma, colorectal cancer and other types of tumors. (cut)