The Next Wave: in Conversation with BioNTech

In this episode of“The Next Wave,” Young Sohn talks with BioNTech co-founder and CEO Dr. Uğur Şahin about their work with Pfizer on the COVID-19 vaccine, the importance in being able to pivot as a technology company, the company’s work on cancer vaccines and how that previous work helped expedite the speed to market of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Prof. Uğur Şahin, M.D., Co-Founder and CEO of BioNTech, is a physician, immunologist and leader in the development of novel approaches to fight cancer and infectious diseases. Şahin is one of the world’s foremost experts on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) medicines and has pioneered several breakthroughs enabling the development of mRNA vaccines and other types of immunotherapies. Şahin initiated and oversees “Project Lightspeed,” the historic development of the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, moving from lab and clinical testing to conditional approval within an unprecedented 11-month period. He also leads BioNTech’s research and development of neoantigen specific mRNA cancer vaccines which are individually tailored and produced on demand according to the profile of non-synonymous mutations identified by next-generation sequencing in patients’ tumors.

About The Next Wave:
The global pandemic has exposed the world to new threats and vulnerabilities, but also many new opportunities. Are you ready for the next wave? Join co-founder Walden Catalyst, Chairman of the Board, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics, Young Sohn, as he unpacks the brave new world of technology and business with some of the leading minds driving the next economy.