Chemotherapy could become a thing of the past

BioNTech founders Prof. Dr. Özlem Türeci and Prof. Dr. Uğur Şahin made statements regarding the cancer vaccine to the German magazine Focus.

Prof. Şahin stated that as a result of years of cancer research, an antibody candidate against a type of lung cancer and an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate against metastatic breast cancer have become eligible for approval. He also noted that ten vaccine candidates have the potential for licensure by the end of this year, having completed phase 2 or phase 3 trials.

Stating that clinical research is ongoing for a total of 30 types of cancer and that successful results have been achieved, Şahin emphasized that they are aiming for a broad portfolio of cancer treatments by 2030.

Prof. Türeci stated that groundbreaking new findings have been reached in the fight against cancer in recent years and that significant progress has been made as BioNTech.

Emphasizing that every patient's cancer cell is different and that they are focusing on individualized cancer treatment, Türeci expressed that there may be no need for chemotherapy in the coming years. She stated that they are working to enable the body's own defense system to fight cancer and that they aim to use antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and vaccines instead of chemotherapy. She noted that this approach could provide more precise and effective treatments in the future.

In summary, the co-founders of BioNTech emphasized that their work in the field of cancer treatment has made significant progress and that they believe more effective and individualized treatments will be possible in the future.