Cancer vaccines could be available within the next decade, say the husband and wife team behind one of the most successful COVID jabs.
German couple Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci are hesitant to claim they can find a cure for the disease – but the pair have had “breakthroughs” they will keep working on.
They said the development and success of their Pfizer/BioNTechvaccine, which was widely rolled out during the pandemic, “gives back to our cancer work”.
The scientists co-founded BioNTech in Mainz in 2008, and have worked on pioneering cancer immunotherapies tailored to individual patients.
Their use of mRNA technology came into its own in the pandemic and they say that experience has helped to spur on their work.
While conventional vaccines are produced using weakened forms of a virus, mRNAs only use a virus’ genetic code.
The mRNA enters cells and tells them to create antigens that are recognised by the immune system and prepares it to fight disease.
Asked when cancer vaccines might be accessed by many patients around the world, Professor Sahin told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, it could happen “before 2030”.
We have a number of breakthroughs
Professor Tureci said: “What we have developed over decades for cancer vaccine development has been the tailwind for developing the COVID-19 vaccine and now the COVID-19 vaccine and our experience in developing it gives back to our cancer work.
“We have learned how to better, faster manufacture vaccines. We have learned in a large number of people how the immune system reacts towards mRNA.”
She said the developments had also helped regulators learn about mRNA vaccines and how to deal with them.
Professor Tureci added: “This will definitely accelerate our cancer vaccine.”
Taking a positive yet cautious approach, Professor Tureci said: “As scientists, we are always hesitant to say we will have a cure for cancer.
“We have a number of breakthroughs and we will continue to work on them.”
In August, American pharmaceutical company Moderna said it was suing BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer, for patent infringement over its COVID-19 vaccine.
The US Food and Drug Administration authorised Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine in December 2020and Moderna’s a week later.
However, Professor Sahin insisted: “Our innovations are original. We have spent 20 years of research in developing this type of treatment and, of course, we will fight for our intellectual property.”
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2022-10-17 06:09:00Z
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