Following its successful COVID vaccine developed in partnership with Pfizer, German company BioNTech is on track to manufacture a vaccine for cancer.
“We have several different cancer vaccines based on mRNA,” said Özlem Türeci, who co-founded BioNTech with her husband Uğur Şahin in 2008.
Messenger RNA or “mRNA” was used in the COVID vaccines to help the human immune system identify and prepare to defend against the coronavirus. In theory, the same approach could be used against a cancerous tumor.
Türeci and Şahin were already working on a cancer vaccine when they heard about COVID. Over breakfast, the pair decided to utilize that research to make a vaccine for the coronavirus.
“It pays off to make bold decisions and to trust that if you have an extraordinary team, you will be able to solve any problem and obstacle which comes your way in real-time,” said Türeci.
Now that millions of vaccines have been manufactured and shipped out, BioNTech is returning its focus to cancer. According to Türeci, BioNTech will have a cancer vaccine available to the public “within only a couple of years.”
Last week, Türeci and her husband received the Order of Merit – one of Germany’s highest honors – for their work combating COVID.
“You began with a drug to treat cancer in a single individual,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “And today we have a vaccine for all of humanity.”
It’s a long time coming. However, it will be tough to develop a vaccine for all cancers. Solid tumors and blood cancers are so different–just like there are various treatments for the various cancers. I wish BioNTech luck and success with getting back to their original endeavor, considering cancer deaths surpassed Covid deaths in 2020 (& that’s a yearly occurrence). Having been diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer 1.5 years ago, the Chemo treatments haven’t improved since Gilda Radnor passed from it in 1989. Radiation and other cancer therapies aren’t even an option. Some universities are running clinical trials on one’s own regenerated T Cells but, so far, that hasn’t cured Ovarian–it has helped stabilize it in some instances. Part of the reason Ovarian is most often fatal is due to early symptoms being nearly non-existent. It’s not until one is at Stage IV or State IIIc that it’s typically diagnosed. Having a cancer vaccine to prevent cancer even starting is a hope and prayer for many.
This is great!!! News for the world!!! OMG!!! GOD! BLESS OZLEM AND UGUR HER HUSBAND… I’ PRAISE THEM!! they are doing amazingly good the the greater good of humanity of the world! GOD BLESS THEM!!!! I’M SO GRATEFUL!!!