Uğur Şahin

Signature of Uğur Şahin

Mainz.BioNTechSE.20200731

Empfang für Özlem Türeci und Uğur Şahin im Rathaus Köln-5356

Ugur Sahin 01

[[File: Uğur Şahin is a German immunologist and entrepreneur of Turkish descent, best known for co-founding BioNTech, a biotechnology company focused on developing and manufacturing active immunotherapies for a patient-specific approach to the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. Alongside his wife, Özlem Türeci, and their colleague, Christoph Huber, Şahin has been instrumental in the development of one of the world's first and most effective COVID-19 vaccines, using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

Early Life and Education

Uğur Şahin was born on September 29, 1965, in Iskenderun, Turkey, before moving to Germany at the age of four. He pursued a career in science and medicine, earning a doctorate from the University of Cologne in the field of immunology and oncology. His research during this period focused on immune responses to cancer, laying the groundwork for his future endeavors in cancer immunotherapy.

Career

After completing his education, Şahin went on to become a professor at the University of Mainz, where he specialized in immunotherapy. In 2001, he co-founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals with Türeci and Huber to develop monoclonal antibodies against cancer. Ganymed was later sold in 2016 for €1.4 billion.

In 2008, Şahin, Türeci, and Huber founded BioNTech with the aim of pursuing a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including mRNA-based drugs, to treat cancer and other diseases. BioNTech's innovative approach to medicine has positioned it as a leader in the field of genetic medicine.

COVID-19 Vaccine Development

In January 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold, BioNTech, under Şahin's leadership, quickly pivoted to apply its mRNA technology to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. This resulted in the creation of BNT162b2, a COVID-19 vaccine developed in partnership with Pfizer. The vaccine showed a 95% efficacy rate in preventing COVID-19 infection in late-stage clinical trials and received emergency use authorization from various global regulatory bodies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Awards and Recognition

Uğur Şahin has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to science and medicine, including being named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2021. His work on the COVID-19 vaccine has not only marked a significant milestone in the fight against the pandemic but has also opened new avenues for mRNA technology in other areas of medicine.

Personal Life

Uğur Şahin is married to Özlem Türeci, a fellow scientist and co-founder of BioNTech. Together, they have continued to work on developing innovative treatments for cancer and infectious diseases, driven by a shared commitment to improving human health.