Ingmar Hoerr

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Dr. Ingmar Hoerr as guest in the popular TV-Talkshow Nachtcafe

Ingmar Malte Hoerr (born 1968 in Neckarsulm) is a German biologist. He pioneered vaccinology research concerning the use of RNA and is a founder of the German biotechnology company CureVac. He created the initial technology used in RNA vaccines and has reportedly been nominated for a Nobel Prize.[1]

Career[]

Hoerr graduated from the Johannes-Kepler-Realschule in Wendlingen am Neckar in 1985 [2] and then attended an agricultural high school in Nürtingen, where he obtained his Abitur in 1988.[3]] From 1988 to 1990, he performed civilian service at the DRK Nürtingen as a paramedic. From 1990 to 1996 he studied biology at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. During his studies, he spent a year at Madurai Kamaraj University, India.[4]

Hoerr did experimental research on the stabilization of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). In 1999, he received his PhD from Günther Jung, Institute of Organic Chemistry, in cooperation with Hans-Georg Rammensee, Institute of Immunology and Cell Biology (both: University of Tübingen) on the topic of RNA vaccines for the induction of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and antibodies.[5]

The dissertation investigated the development of RNA vaccines that will play a central role in the fight against covid-19 starting in 2020.[6] At the time, he vaccinated laboratory mice with an RNA construct and showed that such a vaccine does not immediately decay, as previously thought. Rather, stabilized RNA stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies and activate T cells that destroy pathogens.[7] As early as September 9, 1999, Hoerr applied for a first patent for the new technology. In 2008 and 2009, the first clinical trials for the use of mRNA as a cancer vaccine were already underway.[8][9]

Bill Gates, whose foundation invested in CureVac, rated Hoerr's pioneering work as groundbreaking in an interview with German magazine Handelsblatt: "The first mRNA vaccines,developed by Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna in 2020, are the product of a multitude of ideas and discoveries by German scientist Ingmar Hoerr, who spent twenty years experimenting with messenger RNA."[10]

As the success of the m-RNA vaccines grew, so did media interest in Hoerr. Der Spiegel ranked him among the pioneers of m-RNA vaccines,[11] as did Die Zeit[12] or Süddeutsche Zeitung[13] and conducted interviews. There were appearances on popular German talk shows such as Lanz[14] or Nachtcafe.[15] International interest ranged from the French L'Express[16] to the New York Times.[17]

Research[]

In 2000, Hoerr published his doctoral thesis entitled "RNA vaccine for the induction of specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and antibodies." In his thesis, Hoerr discovered that ribonucleic acid can be stabilized. This discovery made it easy to use ribonucleic acid for the development of vaccines and immunotherapies.[18]

Corporate career[]

In 2000, Hoerr, together with certain colleagues from the lab groups of Günther Jung and Hans-Georg Rammensee, founded the biopharmaceutical company CureVac.[18]

In 2018, Hoerr gave up his office as Chairman of the Board and changed - as Chairman - to the Supervisory Board. Daniel L. Menichella was hired in that position in order to develop R&D and plants in the U.S., but the board changed its mind in 2020 and fired Menichella.[19]

On 11 March 2020, Hoerr took over the position of CEO again at CureVac,[20] replacing his interim successor Menichella.[21] Later, Hoerr was replaced by Jean Stephenne as chairman of the supervisory board.

In August 2020, Franz-Werner Haas replaced Hoerr as Chief Executive Officer, after Hoerr suffered a severe health issue that March.[22]

Accolades[]

Passion for Science - and for Sailing.

2018 Honorary Senator Universität Tübingen[23]

2020 Honorary Citizen Stadt Tübingen[24]

2021 Medal of Honor Medical Faculty Universität Duisburg-Essen[25]

2021 Meyer-Schwickerath-Preis der Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen für seine Grundlagenforschung zur Boten-Ribonukleinsäure[26]

2021 Max-Bergmann-Medaille für die Entwicklung der messenger-RNA- (mRNA)-Impfstoffe als neuartigem Wirkstoffprinzip[27]

2021 German Innovationprice Innovater of the year [28]

Patents[]

  • Günther Jung, Ingmar Hoerr, Hans-Georg Rammensee, Reinhard Obst: Transfer von mRNAs unter Verwendung von polykationischen Verbindungen. EP1083232. Erstveröffentlichung 9. September 1999, Patentinhaber: CureVac.
  • Florian Von der Mülbe, Ingmar Hoerr, Steve Pascolo: Stabilisierte mRNA mit erhöhtem G/C-Gehalt und optimierter Codon Usage für die Gentherapie. WO2002098443. Erstveröffentlichung 12. Dezember 2002, Patentinhaber: CureVac.
  • Ingmar Hoerr, Jochen Probst, Steve Pascolo: RNA-coded antibody. WO2008083949. Erstveröffentlichung 17. Juli 2008, Patentinhaber: CureVac.
  • Ingmar Hoerr, Steve Pascolo: Optimierte Injektionsformulierung für mRNA. Veröffentlichungstag und Patenterteilung 19.06.2019, Europäische Patentschrift Nr EP 3 153 179 B1, Patentinhaber: CureVac.

Publications[]

  • Ingmar Hoerr, Reinhard Obst, Hans-Georg Rammensee, Günther Jung: . In: . Band 30, 30. August 2000, S. 1–7, PMID 10602021.
  • Jochen Probst, Sonja Brechtel, Birgit Scheel, Ingmar Hoerr, Günther Jung, Hans-Georg Rammensee, Steve Pascolo: . In: . Band 4, 29. Mai 2006, S. 1–9, doi:10.1186/1479-0556-4-4.

Literature[]

  • Sascha Karberg: Der Mann, der das Impfen neu erfand: Ingmar Hoerr, CureVac und der Kampf gegen die Pandemie, Aufbau Verlag 2021, ISBN 978-3-351-03926-4
  • Wolfgang Klein: Die CureVac-Story – Vom Risiko, die Medizin zu revolutionieren, Campus Verlag 2021, ISBN 9783593514901

References[]

  1. ^ "How vaccine laggard CureVac hopes to come out on top". www.ft.com/.
  2. ^ ""Wichtig ist ein Beruf, der Spaß macht"- NÜRTINGER ZEITUNG". www.ntz.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  3. ^ "PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  4. ^ "1 | Universität Tübingen". uni-tuebingen.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  5. ^ Suche/3897223449 "ISBN Suche" Check |url= value (help), Wikipedia (in German), retrieved 2021-07-27
  6. ^ "Impfstoff-Erfindung: Wird Hoerrs Anteil negiert?". Schwäbisches Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  7. ^ "Entwicklung der RNA-Technologie: Man konnte es einfach spritzen". Schwäbisches Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  8. ^ Weide, Benjamin; Carralot, Jean-Philippe; Reese, Anne; Scheel, Birgit; Eigentler, Thomas Kurt; Hoerr, Ingmar; Rammensee, Hans-Georg; Garbe, Claus; Pascolo, Steve (February 2008). "Results of the First Phase I/II Clinical Vaccination Trial With Direct Injection of mRNA". Journal of Immunotherapy. 31 (2): 180–188. doi:10.1097/CJI.0b013e31815ce501. ISSN 1524-9557.
  9. ^ Weide, Benjamin; Pascolo, Steve; Scheel, Birgit; Derhovanessian, Evelyna; Pflugfelder, Annette; Eigentler, Thomas K.; Pawelec, Graham; Hoerr, Ingmar; Rammensee, Hans-Georg; Garbe, Claus (June 2009). "Direct Injection of Protamine-protected mRNA: Results of a Phase 1/2 Vaccination Trial in Metastatic Melanoma Patients". Journal of Immunotherapy. 32 (5): 498–507. doi:10.1097/CJI.0b013e3181a00068. ISSN 1524-9557.
  10. ^ "Bill Gates im Interview: "mRNA ist nicht die einzige Plattform, die während der Pandemie Quantensprünge vollzogen hat"". www.handelsblatt.com (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  11. ^ SPIEGEL, Markus Feldenkirchen, DER. "mRNA-Pionier Ingmar Hoerr im »Spitzengespräch«". www.spiegel.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  12. ^ "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  13. ^ Dostert, Elisabeth. "Curevac-Gründer Ingmar Hoerr: Die Genesung". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  14. ^ "Markus Lanz vom 13. Januar 2021". www.zdf.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  15. ^ ""NACHTCAFÉ: Wofür es sich zu kämpfen lohnt"". swr.online (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  16. ^ "Ingmar Hoerr, cofondateur de CureVac : "Notre vaccin sera moins cher et plus accessible"". LExpress.fr (in French). 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  17. ^ Zimmer, Carl (2021-05-05). "This New Covid Vaccine Could Bring Hope to the Unvaccinated World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b "About CureVac". CureVac.
  19. ^ "Jean Stéphenne (CureVac): "Les essais du vaccin anti-Covid-19 vont débuter en juin en Allemagne et en Belgique"". www.lecho.be.
  20. ^ "Company Founder Ingmar Hoerr Succeeds Daniel Menichella as CEO of CureVac AG | English". CureVac.
  21. ^ Oltermann, Philip (March 15, 2020). "Trump 'offers large sums' for exclusive US access to coronavirus vaccine" – via www.theguardian.com.
  22. ^ "CureVac Appoints Dr. Franz-Werner Haas as Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Igor Splawski as Chief Scientific Officer". CureVac. August 4, 2020.
  23. ^ "1 | University of Tübingen". uni-tuebingen.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  24. ^ Aktuell, S. W. R. "Curevac-Gründer Hörr wird Ehrenbürger". swr.online (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  25. ^ "Auszeichnungen für Impfstoff-Pionier". DGFI (in German). 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  26. ^ "Meldungen aus der UDE". www.uni-due.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  27. ^ "NewsFullview-attempto | Universität Tübingen". uni-tuebingen.de. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  28. ^ Stölzel, Thomas. "Deutscher Innovationspreis 2021: Drohnen, Gold, dazu Automatisierung und mRNA". www.wiwo.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-27.
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