Ugur Sahin and his wife Ozlem Tureci, founders of German biotech group BioNTech
Ugur Sahin and his wife Ozlem Tureci, founders of German biotech group BioNTech © Bernd von Jutrczenka/Pool/Getty
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BioNTech’s chief executive has said he is confident the Covid-19 vaccine his company pioneered with Pfizer will work against a new variant circulating in India, where health officials are recording hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases a day.
Ugur Sahin, who founded the German biotech with his wife Ozlem Tureci, said BioNTech had developed the vaccine with variants in mind.
“[It] will hold, I’m confident of that,” he said, adding that BioNTech’s early experience developing cancer therapies meant that the company had been prepared for the virus to mutate.
“We come out of cancer medicine and [there] the tumour is constantly changing and mutating . . . So we have experience with these escape mechanisms,” he said at an online meeting with reporters.
BioNTech says it has investigated more than 30 variants of the virus, including the latest mutation from India. That new variant, known as B.1.617, “has mutations that we have already studied and against which our vaccine is effective”, said Sahin, adding that it left him confident the vaccine would still work.
First recorded in a global database of viral genomes in early October, B.1.617 has circulated in India since and spread internationally. About 20 countries have reported cases, mainly in travellers from India.
BioNTech and Pfizer were the first to bring a Covid-19 shot to market and the first to get regulatory approval for a vaccine using messenger RNA technology, though it is not yet authorised for use in India.
Sahin, who described his jab as a “bulwark” against the spread of the virus, said that even if a new variant evolved that had an impact on efficacy, the mRNA technology behind the vaccine would make it possible to “reinforce the bulwark”.
All of the companies’ production sites for the vaccine outside of the US are located in the EU, and Sahin said he approved of the way the bloc had continued to export coronavirus jabs to other countries.
The EU says it has exported 136m vaccine doses this year, while about 150m have been distributed within the bloc. The US and the UK, in contrast, have exported only very small numbers of shots, although Washington said this week it planned to share 60m doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot in the coming months.
“I think it’s good that we are also exporting vaccines from Europe,” Sahin said. “It is of no use for only Europe to be secure while other countries deal with ever more variants because the virus is still running rampant.”
The devastating surge of Covid-19 in India, which has been recording about 3,000 deaths per day, has increased the pressure on wealthier nations to help lower-income countries still rushing to secure vaccines, but also for companies to relinquish intellectual property rights to make it easier to develop and produce the jabs worldwide.
Sahin said it was better to speed up production through existing partnerships than to force companies to share intellectual property rights, noting that BioNTech was working with about 30 companies worldwide to increase supply.
“It’s not a solution just to have the patent right,” he said, arguing that it would be more difficult to control quality.
Instead, the company was exploring options to license to other manufacturers, he said, though he added that it would take until the end of 2022 at the earliest for those new partnerships to start producing.
He said BioNTech was in talks with the UN-backed vaccine alliance Gavi, to find ways to get more jabs to low-income countries. The company, working with Pfizer, aims to produce 2.5bn doses this year.
Sahin also forecast that vaccinated people might need a third shot after nine to 12 months, citing data that already showed the protection conveyed by the vaccine falling from 95 per cent to 91 per cent after six months.
Further boosters were likely to be required every 12 to 18 months for years to come, he said, adding that societies would need to learn to live with coronavirus and adapt to new methods to protect those unable or unwilling to get vaccinated.
“In the new normality, we will probably read every couple of weeks or so in the papers about a small outbreak which has been brought under control,” he said. “And we will get used to the new normality, and all the intense emotions that came with Covid will be forgotten.”
Özlem Türeci: ‘Inspiring people is part of the job’
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The best vaccine & the best manufacturer.  The partnership between BioNTech & Pfizer has been awesome. 
I also like their 3 bands pricing system : the "price of a meal" as says Pfizer CEO for high income countries, then reduced by 50% for mid- income countries & at costs for the developing world. 
Sahin and Tureci’s story is truly inspiring as they fought for mRNA technology against considerable scepticism and disbelief: surely a Nobel Prize awaits them.

It is often forgotten but a Chinese company, Fosun Pharma, was also involved in financing their work: perhaps not a story that the Western media would like to remind to their readership...
(Edited)
 In reply to Poorbuthappy
They didn't really "fight for mRNA technology" - it's been a hot technology for a while now, and every major pharma has had mRNA vaccine technology under development for years, with various mRNA vaccines already in late preclinical or early clinical development prior to Covid-19. They do deserve credit for a fantastic vaccine, though.

I heard a senior researcher from Moderna talk yesterday, and he was talking about how their "overnight success" was actually based on 12 years of work and they were able to pivot to making a Covid-19 vaccine so swiftly because they already had the infrastructure. BioNTech was in the same situation.

mRNA vaccination was fringe 20 years ago (I know, I worked with a researcher looking at nucleic acid vaccination, back then) - but it's became mainstream over the last decade.

Also: Fosun pharma was not involved in financing their work - they are the distributors for Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine in China, but not a research partner, and did not support the vaccine development.
Given that they work on all other variants, no surprise. It really is not a particularly good virus at camouflaging itself and it being able to defeat our immune system. This virus was never going to be a threat, vaccine or not far to easy for our bodies to beat.
 In reply to herehegoes
I’m sure that the millions of family members of people who have died from the disease will have your optimistic view that the virus is “never going to be a threat, vaccine or not, far too easy for our bodies to beat”....!
 In reply to herehegoes
And what virus is that you are talking about? This thread is about BioNTech and their brilliant response to SARS-CoV-2. You mush have wandered in here by accident judging by your comment.
 In reply to herehegoes
Given that far more than 3 million people have died, and the final death toll for this pandemic is likely to be in the range of 7-10 million even with a vaccine, I think the comment "This virus was never going to be a threat" has already proven to be grotesquely wide of the mark.
Where is the guarantee that sending vaccines abroad will not result in inequitable distribution, corruption and logistical challenges in getting an effective roll out. We have all seen what happens to our aid being mismanaged by recipient countries. Where are the assurances that the same will not happen here? 
 In reply to Speedo
Most UK aid goes to British companies and British aid staff
Sahin makes good points about patents and licensing. 
I am not surprised that the UK has send so few vaccines abroad. While others are struggling to get enough jabs the UK wants to have jabs enough to vaccinate its population 14 times over.  
BioNTech and its two principals, Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, deserve kudos for the incredible work they and their company have done. Without their efforts, this pandemic would be even more hopeless than it seems at the moment. 

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Sahin's praise and appraisal of the EU; my own country, Canada, has relied on Pfizer/BioNTech's production plants in Europe for all of its BNT162b2 vaccine.

Pfizer's plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was prohibited from exporting the vaccines produced there--a black eye for the United States, in my view. 

Thank you, Mr Sahin, for helping to save the lives of my family and friends in Canada. 
 In reply to Old School Canuck
True, candidates for the Nobel prize.
Further boosters were likely to be required every 12 to 18 months for years to come, he said, adding that societies would need to learn to live with coronavirus and adapt to new methods to protect those unable or unwilling to get vaccinated.
We should "protect" those unwilling to get vaccinated is to make sure they aren't allowed in hospitals, if they get very sick and even if they survive they should be made to pay for any long term effects from covid. That way the vulnerable will die off, the long term sick won't saddle us with their medical bills and we kill two birds with one stone. We no longer have to worry about them getting sick and at the same time improve the average intelligence of the human race.
 In reply to Dr Havoc
Gosh, a fascïstic approach to medicine. 
 In reply to LondonReader
No a realistic one. I am not a doctor. I don't feel the need to save people who endanger the rest of society with their actions.

I think if they don't do their part, then they are owed nothing. They are on their own.
 In reply to LondonReader
No, you have it wrong. It's a libertarian one: the consequences of one's decisions are born only by oneself and not by society.

Nobody is forced to do anything, first and foremost pay the bills for those who choose not to be vaccinated and therefore fall ill to a disease that is extremely costly to cure (10 days in ICU is several hundred thousand of dollars in the U.S.; long Covid has the potential of very high cumulative costs over a lifetime). Survival of the fittest is pure libertarianism, not fascism.
 In reply to orbis terrarum
the consequences of one's decisions are born only by oneself and not by society. 

If you took that attitude then you wouldn't treat anybody.
You are overweight? That's your fault society shouldn't pay.
Drink too much, smoke, had a car accident, cut yourself with a bread knife.......
Eventually you can blame the individual's choices for almost everything.
The whole principal of universal care is you don't judge you just treat the need. 
And if you are going to be like that, who do you think actually pays? It' only the richest 10%  that actually puts in more than they take out over a lifetime.
 In reply to Dr Havoc
World is a better place through compassion and helping each one out. People are vulnerable not only health wise but also mentally, sometimes due to situations, at times due to circumstance - should they perish then?.  You underestimate the strength of human race and what it can do through adversity. Although I respect you have a right to your opinions and views. The human intelligence has so far increased through collective efforts and look no further than Sir Stephen Hawking and his intelligence with all his physical disabilities. Hope I made some sense. 
AZ is unfortunately not as good as the pfizer/moderna vaccines. However all vaccines will provide partial immunity to the virus. That is very important. Those who are vaccinated will be protected, but my worry is that AZ will not be sufficient to protect unvaccinated people as well, or worse, it won't provide sufficient protection against covid. That is why I am very upset about our extensive reliance on the AZ vaccine.
 In reply to Dr Havoc
Not for long - U.K. just ordered 60m doses of Pfizer for winter boosters. No mention of further AZ orders which suggests it is being dropped. It isn’t going to be approved in the US it seems - never applied - so I think AZ will be done by the end of the year, ditto J&J. Why continue using vaccines that have side effects when alternatives are available?
 In reply to Blazmo
Especially after the revelations about the Sputnik in light of the Brazilian regulator's decision to reject it, adenovirus vaccines are probably done after this first round of global vaccinations is over. It's a shame for the J&J as a one-dose vaccine is incredibly useful. But, hey, we're talking about the production of literally billions of vaccines in the next 12 months, so the research and development will not have been for nothing.
 In reply to Dr Havoc
Todays research showing effectiveness of vaccines in reducing transmission showed similar effects of AZ and Pfizer. Indeed none of the real life results have shown any significant differences. But don’t let the evidence get in the way of the decision you’ve already made.
 In reply to elliott again
Today's "research" was a press release.
 In reply to RandomCommenter7.0
No, there is an article which can be read in full. 
 In reply to elliott again
There is no such research. You either misunderstood rubbish you read for people who know nothing, or yo just made it up.

I do look at the evidence and the evidence is quite clear. Pfizer/Moderna are substantially better.
 In reply to elliott again
Today's "research" was a press release.
(Edited)
 In reply to elliott again
This is unfortunately not correct. I've been attending a (virtual) meeting over the last two days, where this has been discussed in detail by a range of experts, including quite a number from the NHS and PHE. It appears at this point, that the AstraZeneca vaccine is as effective at reducing deaths and hospitalizations as those from Moderna and BioNtech, but it appears to be less effective at preventing mild and asymptomatic disease.

That matters. The reason it matters is that you need roughly 70% of the population to be fully immune to get herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2. If you have a vaccine that offers approximately 90% effectiveness against any form of the disease, you are going to have a much easier time reaching that threshold, than if the vaccine is only about 70% effective. If it's less than that, then you will never achieve it. The PHE representative talked at length about the implications of this for future use of Covid-19 vaccines, not just for AstraZeneca, but also for J&J, Gamelaya and Sinovac. 

The final outcome is uncertain: it depends on supply constraints and costs and probably political factors, but it is now clear that policy-makers in the UK are at least considering moving away from the adenovirus vaccines and will not use any of the killed-virus vaccines.
These are both economic migrants from Turkey. Could they have achieved this if they had continued to live in Turkey? Most probably not. Could Germany have produced this vaccine without these two? Clearly not. We've been hearing a lot of negative things about immigration but clearly it's a win-win! 
 In reply to Kneeteen
They are intelligent and educated and could have easily succeeded in any country they choose to go. Most of they work they did was application of methods already developed by others (Which is why Moderna ended up with a very similar formulation), so yes germany could have succeeded without them too.

Immigration is beneficial even when it doesn't involve highly intelligent scientists. Diversity is strength. Always has been. Always will be.
 In reply to Dr Havoc
Not every country allows low income immigrants to get the free education these two got.
This couple and their team deserve the world. What amazing amazing people. Just imagine the number of lives they have saved. Humanity at its most magnificent.
Bravo! 
 In reply to Homeboy
Er yep, very success white Western European. There are no other vaccines from any where else in the world. Other countries around the world have only just achieved stone tools.
 In reply to herehegoes
What are you blabbing about, race baiter?
Excellent. True hero scientist couple, and our best hope to save us from tyrannical arm-chair extremists such as Independent Sage who want never ending lock downs, travel restrictions and hotel jails. 
 In reply to Econ.
Another individual is really the originator of this technology; the Hungarian woman who persisted with developing mRNA vaccine technology despite years of struggle and humiliation in the USA. She now workds wiht Biontech.  However, Moderna has her technology as well.  So yes, it could have been done and in fact was (at Moderna) without the immigration of these two Turks.

But kudos to them and I hope they all get rich.   

 
“I think it’s good that we are also exporting vaccines from Europe,” Sahin said. “It is of no use for only Europe to be secure while other countries deal with ever more variants because the virus is still running rampant.”
Absolutely! But the FT shouldn't shy away on other things Sahin said about vaccine supplies and specifically the EU's procurement strategy:
“Europeans can be proud that they found a fair solution,” he said, adding that the bloc also exported large numbers of doses elsewhere.
There is an interesting moral issue of the UK providing vaccine to India . There is  the fact that we gave the intellectual property in Astra Zeneca to the world and in particular to India . 
Meanwhile the Indian government allowed a huge Hindu festival and a number of large political meetings . Some alas of the Indian issue is self induced . But the fact remains that the UK has done more than any country in the world to help the rest of the world . The USA is refusing to give away intellectual property . The EU has done nothing but sue Astra ! 
 In reply to John barnsley
I like the sentiment, but isn’t BioNTech German?
 In reply to John barnsley
Seems mr Ugur Sahin is of a different opinion.
What is certain is that UK made a big effort to politicise the AZ vaccine and make sure it wouldn’t be distributed to other countries before the UK.
 In reply to John barnsley
Every great thing outlined in this interview (which you obviously haven't bothered to read) has happened in the EU, with the support of the EU and thanks to the EU.
 In reply to John barnsley
Conveniently forgetting that India has exported vast quantities of the vaccine to other countries at very reasonable prices. Perhaps it has been too generous to the rest of the world and should have prioritised itself
 In reply to John barnsley
You can’t inject IP.
The EU has exported 136 million shots, the U.K. virtually zero. So when all said and done the EU has contributed more than the U.K. up to now when it comes to actual  vaccinations. 
 In reply to John barnsley
There is an interesting moral issue of the UK providing vaccine to India
The moral issue is that the UK got at least 5m doses from India, and wanted many more. How many doses did the UK send to India?
Great news - as an AZ recipient, I hope they are as confident in Oxford. 
 In reply to Richard Wilson
As a AZ recipient I hope that Curevac is as efficacious as Pfizer when layered on top of AZ to battle the variants.
 In reply to Froggee
Curevac is similar to BioNTech in that it is an mRNA vaccine.
"It remains stable and within defined specifications for at least three months when stored at a standard refrigerator temperature of +5°C (+41°F) and for up to 24 hours as ready-to-use vaccine when stored at room temperature."
So it is not so demanding as BioNTech regarding storage temperatures.
(Edited)
 In reply to Richard Wilson
“So far, data from the Indian Council of Medical Research up to April 21 shows an extremely low breakthrough infection rate, though perhaps not as low as that of the United States. The data shows 0.02 percent to 0.04 percent of vaccinated people falling ill. The rate in the United States, which relies on different vaccines, is 0.008 percent.”

Looks good. 
 In reply to mc6
Fingers crossed.
 In reply to mc6
"The data shows 0.02 percent to 0.04 percent of vaccinated people falling ill. The rate in the United States, which relies on different vaccines, is 0.008 percent.”
Yet another reason why the UK government ordered more Pfizer.