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The Vaccine: Inside the Race to Conquer the COVID-19 Pandemic
The dramatic story of the married scientists who founded BioNTech and developed the first vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nobody thought it was possible. In mid-January 2020, Ugur Sahin told Özlem Türeci, his wife and decades-long research partner, that a vaccine against what would soon be known as COVID-19 could be developed and safely injected into the arms of millions before the end of the year. His confidence was built upon almost thirty years of research. While working to revolutionize the way that cancerous tumors are treated, the couple had explored a volatile and overlooked molecule called messenger RNA; they believed it could be harnessed to turn the human body into its own pharmacy. As the founders of BioNTech, they faced widespread skepticism from the scientific community at first; but by the time Sars-Cov-2 was discovered in Wuhan, BioNTech was prepared to deploy cutting edge technology and create the world’s first approved inoculation for the coronavirus.
The Vaccine draws back the curtain on one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our age; it will reveal how Doctors Sahin and Türeci were able to develop twenty vaccine candidates within weeks, convince Big Pharma to support their ambitious project, navigate political interference from the Trump administration and the European Union, and manage to provide more than two billion doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to countries around the world in record time.
Written by Joe Miller—the Financial Times’ Frankfurt correspondent who covered BioNTech’s COVID-19 project in real time—with contributions from Sahin and Türeci, as well as interviews with more than 50 scientists, politicians, public health officials, and BioNTech staff, the book covers key events throughout the extraordinary year, as well as exploring the scientific, economic, and personal background of each medical innovation. Crafted to be both completely accessible to the average reader and filled with details that will fascinate seasoned microbiologists, The Vaccine explains the science behind the breakthrough, at a time when public confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy is crucial to bringing an end to this pandemic.
Nobody thought it was possible. In mid-January 2020, Ugur Sahin told Özlem Türeci, his wife and decades-long research partner, that a vaccine against what would soon be known as COVID-19 could be developed and safely injected into the arms of millions before the end of the year. His confidence was built upon almost thirty years of research. While working to revolutionize the way that cancerous tumors are treated, the couple had explored a volatile and overlooked molecule called messenger RNA; they believed it could be harnessed to turn the human body into its own pharmacy. As the founders of BioNTech, they faced widespread skepticism from the scientific community at first; but by the time Sars-Cov-2 was discovered in Wuhan, BioNTech was prepared to deploy cutting edge technology and create the world’s first approved inoculation for the coronavirus.
The Vaccine draws back the curtain on one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our age; it will reveal how Doctors Sahin and Türeci were able to develop twenty vaccine candidates within weeks, convince Big Pharma to support their ambitious project, navigate political interference from the Trump administration and the European Union, and manage to provide more than two billion doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to countries around the world in record time.
Written by Joe Miller—the Financial Times’ Frankfurt correspondent who covered BioNTech’s COVID-19 project in real time—with contributions from Sahin and Türeci, as well as interviews with more than 50 scientists, politicians, public health officials, and BioNTech staff, the book covers key events throughout the extraordinary year, as well as exploring the scientific, economic, and personal background of each medical innovation. Crafted to be both completely accessible to the average reader and filled with details that will fascinate seasoned microbiologists, The Vaccine explains the science behind the breakthrough, at a time when public confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy is crucial to bringing an end to this pandemic.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
112 people are currently reading
917 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
December 28, 2021
BioNTech, the German company which partnered with Pfizer to create the Covid vaccine, was started by Ugur and Ozlem, a husband and wife team of scientists, both children of Turkish immigrants. It was interesting to read about the evolution of this company, which begun with the mission of treating cancer, and to learn that it was not only amazing scientific know-how, but also funding, which was important to the vaccine’s development. Ugur proudly told Angela Merkel in January of 2021 video conference , that the team ”consisted of experts from over 60 countries, and more than half were women.” The author made the information both accessible to the general reader, and technical enough to please most "science geeks." Recommended for anyone with an interest in science, or readers just wanting to know about the vaccine development process. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
January 15, 2022
Ich bin ein großer Fan von diesem Buch. Hier finden Sie alle Antworten darüber, wie der Impfstoff überhaupt hergestellt wurde, die Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Impfstoffherstellern, ihr Spezialgebiet, das Vorteile schafft, die schnellen Reaktionen, um etwas zu tun, und Taktiken, die funktionieren. Ein sehr interessantes Buch, das Sie heute unbedingt lesen sollten.
October 16, 2022
Am fost surprins sa aflu cat de putin era dezvoltata biotehnologia pe baza de ARN mesager inainte de debutul pandemiei. Niciun produs farmaceutic pe baza de ARNm nu fusese aprobat pentru uz public. Putin peste 400 de bolnavi in stadiu terminal cu melanom au primit un tratament in cadrul unor testari clinice. Atat.
Cartea este povestea fascinanta a dezvoltarii unui vaccin pe baza de ARNm in mai putin de an.
Cartea este povestea fascinanta a dezvoltarii unui vaccin pe baza de ARNm in mai putin de an.
February 1, 2022
As gripping as any thriller, THE VACCINE reveals how married scientists, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, developed the first COVID-19 vaccine and with Pfizer, produced three billion doses distributed globally in record time. Easy to read, hard to put down, and highly recommended for fans of medical non-fiction and riveting true stories.
Thanks to the authors, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.
#TheVaccine #NetGalley
Thanks to the authors, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.
#TheVaccine #NetGalley
September 27, 2021
Spannende erkenntnissreiche Rekonstruktion mit vielen Hintergrundinfos und vielen wissenschaftlichen sowie unternehmerischen Einblicken.
January 21, 2022
This book tells the incredible story of the BioNTech vaccine. I found it inspiring and very informative. The story is told in a very captivating way. It also covers more details about the vaccine and how it works.
Overall this is a fine book. I can recommend it to everyone interested in this story or who wants to understand mRNA vaccines better.
Overall this is a fine book. I can recommend it to everyone interested in this story or who wants to understand mRNA vaccines better.
November 24, 2021
Dieses Buch wird dem Thema und den dargestellten Personen nicht gerecht. Der Buchtitel bezeichnet eher die Arbeitsweise und die damit verbundene Gewissenhaftigkeit des Autors, als die im Buch skizzierte Forschung.
Dem Buch lag ein Zettel bei, in dem zwei fehlende Absätze abgedruckt waren, sowie eine Entschuldigung für diesen Missstand. Tatsächlich werden viel häufiger Sätze nicht zuende gebracht, so dass man zwischen den Gedanken des Autors springt. Hätten sich der Autor und/oder das Lektorat mehr Zeit gegeben, wären die Texte sicherlich besser lesbar. So färbt leider die fehlende Sorgfalt des Autors die Inhalte des Buches. Ironischerweise wird versucht, die Wissenschaftler als sehr gewissenhafte und exakt arbeitende Menschen darzustellen, die beinahe unmenschlich fehlerlos zu sein scheinen. Man muss das als ein überzogenes Bild annehmen, das der Autor gerne in die Köpfe der Leser einpflanzen will.
Die wissenschaftlichen Inhalte sind sehr oberflächlich und stark vereinfacht dargestellt. An ein paar Stellen auch falsch oder zumindest irreführend. Analogien werden falsch eingesetzt und sprachlich schlecht unterfüttert ("[...] im mikroskopischen Bereich [...] um Haaresbreite" - der Virus hat einen Durchmesser von etwa 140 nm und eine Haaresbreite entspricht in dem Kontext einer optischen Verkleinerung statt einer Vergrößerung). Natürlich kann man dem Leser keinen naturwissenschaftlichen oder lebenswissenschaftlichen Fachtext zumuten, aber man kann diese Inhalte korrekt und ansprechend vermitteln, statt ewig in schlechten Analogien zu elaborieren.
Die beiden BioNTech-Gründer werden sehr distanziert, kühl, minimalistisch und gewissenhaft dargestellt. Vor allem der familiäre Einblick wirkt inszeniert, ist aber für den Leser auch nicht überprüfbar. Solche Einblicke könnten Nähe zum Leser aufbauen, stattdessen hat man das Gefühl, Ausschnitte aus einer Autobiographie zu lesen, die allein aus PR-Gründen geschrieben wurde. Ich kann mir vorstellen dass die Gründer herzensgute, gewissenhafte Menschen sind - und sie haben Großes geleistet, aber eben auch nicht allein. Ihre Erfolge in der mRNA-Forschung wären ohne den Vorlauf unzähliger Wissenschaftler in dem Gebiet nicht möglich gewesen. Der BioNTech-Erfolg ist gewiss nicht vom Himmel gefallen. So sehr wie sie wissenschaftlich engagiert sind, so sehr haben sie auch ein wirtschaftliches Interesse, dass sie Absatz-Chancen erkennen lässt. Daran ist nichts schlechtes, aber so altruistisch die Darstellung im Buch ist, können die Gründer dem nicht gerecht werden.
Weiterhin wird die mRNA so dargestellt, als hätte man sie praktisch vor dem wissenschaftlichen Engagement der Gründer vernachlässigt oder nicht ernstgenommen. Das stimmt schlichtweg nicht. Das Feld der Genetik ist so unheimlich komplex, dass man einfach nur vorsichtig mit Prognosen und Deutungen ist. Das ist gute wissenschaftliche Arbeitsweise. Ein Potential in der mRNA nicht zu erkennen, heißt, dass man nicht alle Informationen zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte oder nicht zu kombinieren wusste. Offenbar haben die Gründer von BioNTech da ihren Heureka-Moment gehabt, der ihnen zu gönnen ist.
Last but not least: Ein solches Thema lässt man besser von einem SciComm-Autor aus der Naturwissenschaft, idealerweise den Lebenswissenschaften, in Buchform aufarbeiten. Ein Financial-Times-Journalist taugt hierfür leider nicht. Aber: Die wirtschaftlichen Zusammenhänge scheint Joe Miller bestens recherchiert und gut aufgearbeitet zu haben, sofern ich das beurteilen kann.
Im Thema lag Potential, das einfach nur für die Relevanz in diesen Tagen schnell verheizt wurde um Kasse im Buchhandel zu machen. Eine Retrospektive in drei oder vier Jahren liest sich sicherlich besser.
Dem Buch lag ein Zettel bei, in dem zwei fehlende Absätze abgedruckt waren, sowie eine Entschuldigung für diesen Missstand. Tatsächlich werden viel häufiger Sätze nicht zuende gebracht, so dass man zwischen den Gedanken des Autors springt. Hätten sich der Autor und/oder das Lektorat mehr Zeit gegeben, wären die Texte sicherlich besser lesbar. So färbt leider die fehlende Sorgfalt des Autors die Inhalte des Buches. Ironischerweise wird versucht, die Wissenschaftler als sehr gewissenhafte und exakt arbeitende Menschen darzustellen, die beinahe unmenschlich fehlerlos zu sein scheinen. Man muss das als ein überzogenes Bild annehmen, das der Autor gerne in die Köpfe der Leser einpflanzen will.
Die wissenschaftlichen Inhalte sind sehr oberflächlich und stark vereinfacht dargestellt. An ein paar Stellen auch falsch oder zumindest irreführend. Analogien werden falsch eingesetzt und sprachlich schlecht unterfüttert ("[...] im mikroskopischen Bereich [...] um Haaresbreite" - der Virus hat einen Durchmesser von etwa 140 nm und eine Haaresbreite entspricht in dem Kontext einer optischen Verkleinerung statt einer Vergrößerung). Natürlich kann man dem Leser keinen naturwissenschaftlichen oder lebenswissenschaftlichen Fachtext zumuten, aber man kann diese Inhalte korrekt und ansprechend vermitteln, statt ewig in schlechten Analogien zu elaborieren.
Die beiden BioNTech-Gründer werden sehr distanziert, kühl, minimalistisch und gewissenhaft dargestellt. Vor allem der familiäre Einblick wirkt inszeniert, ist aber für den Leser auch nicht überprüfbar. Solche Einblicke könnten Nähe zum Leser aufbauen, stattdessen hat man das Gefühl, Ausschnitte aus einer Autobiographie zu lesen, die allein aus PR-Gründen geschrieben wurde. Ich kann mir vorstellen dass die Gründer herzensgute, gewissenhafte Menschen sind - und sie haben Großes geleistet, aber eben auch nicht allein. Ihre Erfolge in der mRNA-Forschung wären ohne den Vorlauf unzähliger Wissenschaftler in dem Gebiet nicht möglich gewesen. Der BioNTech-Erfolg ist gewiss nicht vom Himmel gefallen. So sehr wie sie wissenschaftlich engagiert sind, so sehr haben sie auch ein wirtschaftliches Interesse, dass sie Absatz-Chancen erkennen lässt. Daran ist nichts schlechtes, aber so altruistisch die Darstellung im Buch ist, können die Gründer dem nicht gerecht werden.
Weiterhin wird die mRNA so dargestellt, als hätte man sie praktisch vor dem wissenschaftlichen Engagement der Gründer vernachlässigt oder nicht ernstgenommen. Das stimmt schlichtweg nicht. Das Feld der Genetik ist so unheimlich komplex, dass man einfach nur vorsichtig mit Prognosen und Deutungen ist. Das ist gute wissenschaftliche Arbeitsweise. Ein Potential in der mRNA nicht zu erkennen, heißt, dass man nicht alle Informationen zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte oder nicht zu kombinieren wusste. Offenbar haben die Gründer von BioNTech da ihren Heureka-Moment gehabt, der ihnen zu gönnen ist.
Last but not least: Ein solches Thema lässt man besser von einem SciComm-Autor aus der Naturwissenschaft, idealerweise den Lebenswissenschaften, in Buchform aufarbeiten. Ein Financial-Times-Journalist taugt hierfür leider nicht. Aber: Die wirtschaftlichen Zusammenhänge scheint Joe Miller bestens recherchiert und gut aufgearbeitet zu haben, sofern ich das beurteilen kann.
Im Thema lag Potential, das einfach nur für die Relevanz in diesen Tagen schnell verheizt wurde um Kasse im Buchhandel zu machen. Eine Retrospektive in drei oder vier Jahren liest sich sicherlich besser.
April 8, 2023
Spannend, die gesamte Geschichte des Corona-Imstoffs noch einmal nachzulesen. Das Buch enthält viele interessante Details und Nebenstränge die zum Ziel führten - der Autor schreibt aber eindeutig zu pathetisch, stellenweise kaum zu ertragen.
November 6, 2021
What Vaccine does really well is capture the entirety of the picture, especially when we are only able to see parts of it. For someone to openly recognise and be honest about the trajectory and evolvement of the pandemic, then following the battle to find a solution and way to curb the pandemic, and of course the amount of fatalities.
During a time when people are fractured into different sides, especially when it comes to Covid and subsequently the vaccine, it’s important to shed light on the science to counter the conspiracies.
Conspiracy theorists see and make connections where others don’t. There is a general feeling of mistrust towards science, government and the medical experts in general, which is why books or audiobooks like this are of paramount importance. Countering the stream of misinformation and hopefully allaying some fears along the way.
It’s science heavy – obviously – but for the majority it is explained quite well for a reader who is also a layperson. The use of metaphors really helped with equivalency and association. I could do with a written version of it too.
Given the book was written during the time of the pandemic, the author had certain limitations to deal with and yet he still managed to interview scientists, politicians and staff at BioNTech, and of course Uğur Şahin und Özlem Türeci. The result is a fascinating window into the world behind the vaccine, the company, and the people who created it.
I think it’s worth pointing out that our media, and often the mouthpieces of governments, focus on the negative to gain traction and viewers. The numbers we hear and read about tend to be the losses, the victims, and whilst they are important it’s perhaps impossible to quantify the positive results of the vaccine. Both now and in the future.
It’s a compelling audiobook – I highly recommend it.
During a time when people are fractured into different sides, especially when it comes to Covid and subsequently the vaccine, it’s important to shed light on the science to counter the conspiracies.
Conspiracy theorists see and make connections where others don’t. There is a general feeling of mistrust towards science, government and the medical experts in general, which is why books or audiobooks like this are of paramount importance. Countering the stream of misinformation and hopefully allaying some fears along the way.
It’s science heavy – obviously – but for the majority it is explained quite well for a reader who is also a layperson. The use of metaphors really helped with equivalency and association. I could do with a written version of it too.
Given the book was written during the time of the pandemic, the author had certain limitations to deal with and yet he still managed to interview scientists, politicians and staff at BioNTech, and of course Uğur Şahin und Özlem Türeci. The result is a fascinating window into the world behind the vaccine, the company, and the people who created it.
I think it’s worth pointing out that our media, and often the mouthpieces of governments, focus on the negative to gain traction and viewers. The numbers we hear and read about tend to be the losses, the victims, and whilst they are important it’s perhaps impossible to quantify the positive results of the vaccine. Both now and in the future.
It’s a compelling audiobook – I highly recommend it.
January 17, 2022
I was really excited to see this come the shelves from Net Galley after reading Gottleib’s book last year. I think it’s interesting to have read both of these books, as this one doves much more into the scientific response to the pandemic, while Gottleib’s focuses more on agency response within the U.S. this also largely takes place in the German BioNTech facilities, which added another layer to the complexity.
From the get go, I felt I was reading quickly, but didn’t seem to be making much progress which was discouraging, only to realize that it was because just over the final 20% is acknowledgements, appendices and footnotes.
The thing I wasn’t expecting here though, was that this feels like a heroes tale of two scientists fighting the pandemic. I felt like it was heavy on feeling the humanity of the work they were doing, and really shone a light on the drug discovery process in lay terms. As someone intimately familiar with the R&D processes to bring a drug to market, it was a refreshing description of the steps companies normally have to take compared to what was done in the pandemic.
I really appreciated the story of how a small biotech company’s science helped the world through a pandemic. This is definitely a worthwhile read.
From the get go, I felt I was reading quickly, but didn’t seem to be making much progress which was discouraging, only to realize that it was because just over the final 20% is acknowledgements, appendices and footnotes.
The thing I wasn’t expecting here though, was that this feels like a heroes tale of two scientists fighting the pandemic. I felt like it was heavy on feeling the humanity of the work they were doing, and really shone a light on the drug discovery process in lay terms. As someone intimately familiar with the R&D processes to bring a drug to market, it was a refreshing description of the steps companies normally have to take compared to what was done in the pandemic.
I really appreciated the story of how a small biotech company’s science helped the world through a pandemic. This is definitely a worthwhile read.
February 10, 2022
Grandioses Buch. Es ist faszinierend einen Einblick hinter die Kulissen einer solch großen Errungenschaft zu erhalten, besonders dann wenn man sich dessen bewusst wird, dass wir selbst diese Zeit durchlebt haben, nur von einer anderen Perspektive. Einfach und verständlich geschrieben, menschlich und ehrlich. Ich bin vermutlich zu einem kleinen Groupie von Özlem und Uğur geworden. Kann ich nur empfehlen!!
January 8, 2022
*3.5 - 4.0 ⭐️
February 25, 2022
Very interesting read about BioNTech's role in the COVID vaccine development. Here in the US we often refer to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine just by mentioning Pfizer. This book certainly brings to light just how much of the ground work was laid by BioNTech. That said, it appears the writer was employed by the couple that founded BioNTech, so there indeed must be some bias there. The book sort of glorifies the couple's role in the process, which may be justified, but at times felt a little heavy handed. I was surprised by how much of the book focused on the business decisions that needed to be made to get the vaccine to be a reality...things like conversations that had to happen to secure enough manufacturing sites. So much more than pure biology had to be done efficiently and thoughtfully.
November 27, 2021
Definitely my BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021!
Great writing! Joe Miller makes this mix of biography, documentary and science textbook rather feel like a crime novel, a thriller you won't put down until finished: A page turner.
This book helped me understand quite some things. It touches on:
- the nature of our immune system
- how different kinds of vaccines work
- how biontechs COVID-19 vaccine work
- entrepreneurship
- how (some) investors work
- how companies in Germany (can) work together with government agencies tasked with governance
All in all: A strong recommendation!
Great writing! Joe Miller makes this mix of biography, documentary and science textbook rather feel like a crime novel, a thriller you won't put down until finished: A page turner.
This book helped me understand quite some things. It touches on:
- the nature of our immune system
- how different kinds of vaccines work
- how biontechs COVID-19 vaccine work
- entrepreneurship
- how (some) investors work
- how companies in Germany (can) work together with government agencies tasked with governance
All in all: A strong recommendation!
January 24, 2022
Brilliant!
Much like Vaxxers — the book by Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green about their development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine — The Vaccine is a great read. Thoroughly written and exceptionally well researched and referenced, Joe Miller gives an inside look at the development of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine — the world’s first mRNA vaccine. Miller explains the science clearly and enthusiastically, and much of the book is composed of direct conversations with the scientists who produced the vaccine — husband and wife Ozlem Tureci and Ugur Sahin — and their team. The Vaccine is enthralling throughout, and is written, refreshingly for pop-sci, without any unnecessary frills and flourishes.
Although a great read for anyone, it is an absolute must-read for the vaccine-hesitant or the anti-vaxxers.
Much like Vaxxers — the book by Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green about their development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine — The Vaccine is a great read. Thoroughly written and exceptionally well researched and referenced, Joe Miller gives an inside look at the development of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine — the world’s first mRNA vaccine. Miller explains the science clearly and enthusiastically, and much of the book is composed of direct conversations with the scientists who produced the vaccine — husband and wife Ozlem Tureci and Ugur Sahin — and their team. The Vaccine is enthralling throughout, and is written, refreshingly for pop-sci, without any unnecessary frills and flourishes.
Although a great read for anyone, it is an absolute must-read for the vaccine-hesitant or the anti-vaxxers.
February 13, 2022
Let me state this for starters: a lot of Science's greatest advances occurred because, against all odds, someone believed something was possible!
Ugur's believe in the vaccine is admirable. The science being is admirable: the way they've run parallel versions of the vaccine and how they tested the several candidates, the work behind, the force of the whole team, it's just mind blowing and as a woman in science I felt very inspired by this book and BioNTech's journey.
I can go on and on talking about this but I don't have much to add: it's just impressive and I would totally recommend, although it may be too scientific if you're not in the area. Nevertheless, give it a chance!!
Ugur's believe in the vaccine is admirable. The science being is admirable: the way they've run parallel versions of the vaccine and how they tested the several candidates, the work behind, the force of the whole team, it's just mind blowing and as a woman in science I felt very inspired by this book and BioNTech's journey.
I can go on and on talking about this but I don't have much to add: it's just impressive and I would totally recommend, although it may be too scientific if you're not in the area. Nevertheless, give it a chance!!
October 9, 2022
"În 2021, după ce sute de milioane de persoane fuseseră vaccinate, cercetătorii din SUA și Marea Britanie vor încerca să calculeze ce valoare avusese fiecare doză pentru economia globală. Rezultatele lor vor pune certurile pe marginea (banilor) într-o lumină deloc măgulitoare. Trei miliarde de doze anuale de vaccin (...) au un profit global de 17,4 trilioane de dolari." Un profit mediu per fiecare persoană vaccinată de 5.800 de dolari, au calculat cercetătorii.
5.800 de dolari. Profit. Adică ce rămâne după ce s-au amortizat investițiile, s-au acoperit cheltuielile, s-au plătit taxele.
E interesant să citești primul paragraf și să-l suprapui peste știrile despre procesul intentat de Moderna celor de la Pfizer/BioNTech. După care să descoperi că și Moderna face obiectul unui proces. Apoi, să citești că Pfizer/BioNTech sunt parte a unui alt proces, cu CureVac. Și să ajungi la un articol despre omul (și firma lui) care a jucat un rol crucial în integrarea ARNm ca tehnologie într-un vaccin (sper să nu spun prostii, dar nu știu cum să explic altfel). Om de știință garat în triaj, deși fără soluția gândită de el vaccinul nu ar fi disponibil atât de repede. Sau nu ar fi fost posibil, punct.
💶
Nu știu dacă, atunci când au tras linie și au ajuns la valoarea profitului, cercetătorii au luat în calcul și materialele din care puteau fi produse 400 de milioane de doze de vaccin, dar care au ajuns la gunoi. Cazul face obiectul unei anchete a Camerei Reprezentanților din Congresul SUA.
Sau milioanele de doze de vaccin J&J care au fost contaminate. Deci tot deșeu.
📚
După citirea acestei cărți și a celei scrisă de Walter Isaacson (Spărgătoarea de coduri), rămân cu un gust amar provocat de lupta pentru bani, de jocurile politice care au ajuns să decidă modul în care știința și rezultatele cercetărilor (nu mai) ajung la oameni sau (nu mai) sunt în interesul public, despre scurtarea timpilor și scurtcircuitarea procedurilor, deși rolul acestora este acela de a preveni riscurile asociate/derivate și efectele secundare.
Citeam pe undeva că e prea multă politică în business și prea mult business în politică. Cele două cărți par să confirme asta.
Și da, sunt 50.000 de proceduri în lungul drum de dezvoltare a unui vaccin, dar este o birocrație al cărei rol este să protejeze omul, nu să-l expună unor riscuri necunoscute pentru că nu au fost suficient cercetate.
Din toată povestea asta cu vaccinul eu am rămas cu concluzia că fiecare argument pro și contra are un sâmbure de adevăr. Nu vom ajunge la miezul acestuia dacă nu ne ascultăm.
5.800 de dolari. Profit. Adică ce rămâne după ce s-au amortizat investițiile, s-au acoperit cheltuielile, s-au plătit taxele.
E interesant să citești primul paragraf și să-l suprapui peste știrile despre procesul intentat de Moderna celor de la Pfizer/BioNTech. După care să descoperi că și Moderna face obiectul unui proces. Apoi, să citești că Pfizer/BioNTech sunt parte a unui alt proces, cu CureVac. Și să ajungi la un articol despre omul (și firma lui) care a jucat un rol crucial în integrarea ARNm ca tehnologie într-un vaccin (sper să nu spun prostii, dar nu știu cum să explic altfel). Om de știință garat în triaj, deși fără soluția gândită de el vaccinul nu ar fi disponibil atât de repede. Sau nu ar fi fost posibil, punct.
💶
Nu știu dacă, atunci când au tras linie și au ajuns la valoarea profitului, cercetătorii au luat în calcul și materialele din care puteau fi produse 400 de milioane de doze de vaccin, dar care au ajuns la gunoi. Cazul face obiectul unei anchete a Camerei Reprezentanților din Congresul SUA.
Sau milioanele de doze de vaccin J&J care au fost contaminate. Deci tot deșeu.
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După citirea acestei cărți și a celei scrisă de Walter Isaacson (Spărgătoarea de coduri), rămân cu un gust amar provocat de lupta pentru bani, de jocurile politice care au ajuns să decidă modul în care știința și rezultatele cercetărilor (nu mai) ajung la oameni sau (nu mai) sunt în interesul public, despre scurtarea timpilor și scurtcircuitarea procedurilor, deși rolul acestora este acela de a preveni riscurile asociate/derivate și efectele secundare.
Citeam pe undeva că e prea multă politică în business și prea mult business în politică. Cele două cărți par să confirme asta.
Și da, sunt 50.000 de proceduri în lungul drum de dezvoltare a unui vaccin, dar este o birocrație al cărei rol este să protejeze omul, nu să-l expună unor riscuri necunoscute pentru că nu au fost suficient cercetate.
Din toată povestea asta cu vaccinul eu am rămas cu concluzia că fiecare argument pro și contra are un sâmbure de adevăr. Nu vom ajunge la miezul acestuia dacă nu ne ascultăm.
November 10, 2022
Este ensayo con la colaboración de los dos fundadores de BioNTech recorre todo el camino recorrido por la empresa, para realizar la vacuna contra el COVID-19 a partir de la predicción de su su fundador el Dr Ugur Sahin de que lo que se acabó llamando Covid-19 no sería una epidemia regional porque habían casos asintomáticos que la podían transportar por el mundo más de un mes antes de que se declarase la pandemia por parte de la OMS.
Aprovechando este hilo conductor, el libro es mucho más. Lógicamente es un libro de ciencia, de fácil lectura, pero también es un libro sobre empresa, donde podemos ver las enormes necesidades materiales y económicas que tiene una empresa biotecnológica para llevar a cabo cualquiera de sus investigaciones para que se acaben convirtiendo en medicamentos que se puedan comercializar. Y también es un libro sobre las relaciones con las autoridades, con los reguladores y todos los procesos que se tienen que llevar a cabo desde el minuto 1.
Y sobretodo es un libro del empeño, la tenacidad, la fe y creencia de dos científicos en que un descubrimiento de hacía décadas, el ARNm, podía servir para curar el cáncer a través de vacunas personalizadas. Y aunque el ARNm en muchas casos era el hazmerreír en congresos científicos el libro nos muestra su historia, su lucha para llevar sus ideas a buen puerto y que gracias a esa experiencia pudieran crear la vacuna en tan poco tiempo.
La forma en que está escrita, hace la lectura muy amena, sin muchas complicaciones por los temas científicos, construyendo una historia global de más de 20 años de investigación aprovechando las diferentes fases en la consecución y comercialización de la vacuna para ir adelante y detrás, permitiendo al lector conocer el reducido y complejo mundo de las empresas biotecnológicas.
Un libro que como indica en más de una página demuestra que como ha pasado muchas veces en la historia de la humanidad, los avances vienen dados por aquellos que están en los extremos o directamente fuera del establishment del sector en cuestión, pero que la tenacidad puede conseguir un progreso importante para la humanidad.
Aprovechando este hilo conductor, el libro es mucho más. Lógicamente es un libro de ciencia, de fácil lectura, pero también es un libro sobre empresa, donde podemos ver las enormes necesidades materiales y económicas que tiene una empresa biotecnológica para llevar a cabo cualquiera de sus investigaciones para que se acaben convirtiendo en medicamentos que se puedan comercializar. Y también es un libro sobre las relaciones con las autoridades, con los reguladores y todos los procesos que se tienen que llevar a cabo desde el minuto 1.
Y sobretodo es un libro del empeño, la tenacidad, la fe y creencia de dos científicos en que un descubrimiento de hacía décadas, el ARNm, podía servir para curar el cáncer a través de vacunas personalizadas. Y aunque el ARNm en muchas casos era el hazmerreír en congresos científicos el libro nos muestra su historia, su lucha para llevar sus ideas a buen puerto y que gracias a esa experiencia pudieran crear la vacuna en tan poco tiempo.
La forma en que está escrita, hace la lectura muy amena, sin muchas complicaciones por los temas científicos, construyendo una historia global de más de 20 años de investigación aprovechando las diferentes fases en la consecución y comercialización de la vacuna para ir adelante y detrás, permitiendo al lector conocer el reducido y complejo mundo de las empresas biotecnológicas.
Un libro que como indica en más de una página demuestra que como ha pasado muchas veces en la historia de la humanidad, los avances vienen dados por aquellos que están en los extremos o directamente fuera del establishment del sector en cuestión, pero que la tenacidad puede conseguir un progreso importante para la humanidad.
May 27, 2022
This is a fascinating book. It tells the story of a small German company dedicated to using mRNA to fight and cure cancer and how, when they realized the small outbreak of a new SARS virus in Wuhan appeared to be transmitted by asymptomatic carriers, pivoted on the spot to throw all their energies and resources into creating a vaccine for the new disease.
Since cancer is a mutation of ones own cells, the body can fail to recognize it as an invader so the immune system can fail to fight it. Also every victim's cancer is biologically unique and therefore unable to be targeted by conventional vaccines. mRNA is a type of platform which can deliver crafting instructions to the immune system. Coding mRNA with data taken from one's own cells, allows a message to be sent to the immune system teaching it to spot the cancer and activating it to fight it.
Having worked with mRNA for decades, the couple realized they could code mRNA with specific data from the Covid genome (literally information that a Chinese doctor had shared on the internet) and just by delivering these instructions the body would learn to spot and fight Covid before it had encountered the disease.
While the group was able to create a proof of concept prototype remarkably fast--before much of the world believed there would even be a pandemic--this was simply the first of many steps on the way to creating a viable vaccine. In a race against time that could easily be the basis of a thrilling season of television the group had to develop vaccine candiates (they created 20 concurrently in their attempt to discover the best possible configuration of elements!), a means to test the best candidates, a means to prevent the very fragile mRNA from breaking down, a means to get it to move to the desired part of the body, and a way to keep it stable and deliverable through injection. And that too was just the start -- they also needed to go create the infrastructure and partnerships required to test, produce and distribute the vaccine, all while the world slowly shifted from ignorance of the threat, to lock-downs and shortages, to bodies literally piling up outside the NY offices of Pfizer.
This is a thrilling tale of scientific expertise, moral integrity, massive risk, and entrepreneurial acumen--and you also get some history on mRNA development.
Since cancer is a mutation of ones own cells, the body can fail to recognize it as an invader so the immune system can fail to fight it. Also every victim's cancer is biologically unique and therefore unable to be targeted by conventional vaccines. mRNA is a type of platform which can deliver crafting instructions to the immune system. Coding mRNA with data taken from one's own cells, allows a message to be sent to the immune system teaching it to spot the cancer and activating it to fight it.
Having worked with mRNA for decades, the couple realized they could code mRNA with specific data from the Covid genome (literally information that a Chinese doctor had shared on the internet) and just by delivering these instructions the body would learn to spot and fight Covid before it had encountered the disease.
While the group was able to create a proof of concept prototype remarkably fast--before much of the world believed there would even be a pandemic--this was simply the first of many steps on the way to creating a viable vaccine. In a race against time that could easily be the basis of a thrilling season of television the group had to develop vaccine candiates (they created 20 concurrently in their attempt to discover the best possible configuration of elements!), a means to test the best candidates, a means to prevent the very fragile mRNA from breaking down, a means to get it to move to the desired part of the body, and a way to keep it stable and deliverable through injection. And that too was just the start -- they also needed to go create the infrastructure and partnerships required to test, produce and distribute the vaccine, all while the world slowly shifted from ignorance of the threat, to lock-downs and shortages, to bodies literally piling up outside the NY offices of Pfizer.
This is a thrilling tale of scientific expertise, moral integrity, massive risk, and entrepreneurial acumen--and you also get some history on mRNA development.
December 23, 2021
In January 2020, we watched and read news from Wuhan in China regarding an outbreak of disease which appeared to jump from animal to human the previous month. It was a long way away, and not bothering a whole lot of people in Europe at the time. That changed as we moved into February and March, and case numbers exploded in Italy and subsequently around the continent, and then further afield. Before we knew it, schools were closing, workers were adjusting to carrying out their jobs remotely, and lockdowns were in place throughout the world.
Back in January, however, when the rest of us were unaware of what was truly about to happen next, two scientists in Germany (a husband and wife), Dr. Ozlem Tureci and Dr. Usurp Sahin, were trying to figure out if mRNA techniques could be used to develop a vaccine to help with the outbreak. They ran a small biotech firm called BioNTech, usually dedicated to using mRNA to develop cancer vaccines.
What followed in the months to come from Tureci, Sahin and BioNTech was a breathless pursuit of a COVID vaccine in order to contain the pandemic. Ultimately, the pursuit was successful, with a potent vaccine identified, tested and in production (in partnership with Pfizer) in mere months. It was a remarkable achievement.
“The Vaccine” is the story of the development of the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine. It’s an excellent account of one of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medicine. Author Joe Miller assembled the story from interviews with many of the principles involved, including Tureci and Sahin.
Tureci and Sahin showed that science and rational calm thinking trumps ego and hysteria. They were able to get a plan together to identify a suitable candidate vaccine, scale up BioNTech R&D and testing, make a key partnership, and navigate regulator requirements, and do so within as aggressive timeframe as possible without comprising patient safety.
While it can get tiring listening to the daily ups and downs of the pandemic in the media, I still found this book a great read, and an excellent reminder of how innovation and science play a critical role in our modern lives.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Back in January, however, when the rest of us were unaware of what was truly about to happen next, two scientists in Germany (a husband and wife), Dr. Ozlem Tureci and Dr. Usurp Sahin, were trying to figure out if mRNA techniques could be used to develop a vaccine to help with the outbreak. They ran a small biotech firm called BioNTech, usually dedicated to using mRNA to develop cancer vaccines.
What followed in the months to come from Tureci, Sahin and BioNTech was a breathless pursuit of a COVID vaccine in order to contain the pandemic. Ultimately, the pursuit was successful, with a potent vaccine identified, tested and in production (in partnership with Pfizer) in mere months. It was a remarkable achievement.
“The Vaccine” is the story of the development of the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine. It’s an excellent account of one of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medicine. Author Joe Miller assembled the story from interviews with many of the principles involved, including Tureci and Sahin.
Tureci and Sahin showed that science and rational calm thinking trumps ego and hysteria. They were able to get a plan together to identify a suitable candidate vaccine, scale up BioNTech R&D and testing, make a key partnership, and navigate regulator requirements, and do so within as aggressive timeframe as possible without comprising patient safety.
While it can get tiring listening to the daily ups and downs of the pandemic in the media, I still found this book a great read, and an excellent reminder of how innovation and science play a critical role in our modern lives.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
July 13, 2022
BioNTech, Pfizer's partner in developing the mRNA vaccine that I and more than 100 million other Americans have gotten, wasn't even an infectious disease company at the start of 2020 -- they were almost completely focused on cancer treatments, with about 1% of its employees working on infectious disease research. Yet it still was among the first companies with a successful vaccine against Covid-19, because its CEO foresaw a global pandemic earlier than most did, invested heavily in developing a vaccine for it even though there was no guarantee their version would work or get enough adoption, and got enough others to go along with that plan. I learned a lot about the science, but the management story of making that decision, steering the company, and working with partners and regulators is just as remarkable.
You would think that such a story can't be over-dramatized, but the relentless hagiography in this book does just that (e.g., “in the heavily politicized world of medical research, where academics are protective of their pet theories and often bear lifelong grudges against those who disparage themselves, [Tureci and Sahin] had remained rigidly agnostic, swayed by solid data alone”). It's not only annoying, but it makes me question how some of the facts in here were interpreted (were the protagonists really visionaries who saw a global pandemic coming a month and a half before the rest of the world did, or is the story just being spun that way?). Still, it's an important enough story with enough non-obvious details that it's worth reading if you have at least a passing interest in the science.
You would think that such a story can't be over-dramatized, but the relentless hagiography in this book does just that (e.g., “in the heavily politicized world of medical research, where academics are protective of their pet theories and often bear lifelong grudges against those who disparage themselves, [Tureci and Sahin] had remained rigidly agnostic, swayed by solid data alone”). It's not only annoying, but it makes me question how some of the facts in here were interpreted (were the protagonists really visionaries who saw a global pandemic coming a month and a half before the rest of the world did, or is the story just being spun that way?). Still, it's an important enough story with enough non-obvious details that it's worth reading if you have at least a passing interest in the science.
October 2, 2021
Wow. mRNA als zukünftige mainstreamRNA ? Ich denke schon. Wahnsinnig spannende Einblicke in den Prozess der Impfstoffherstellung. 88 Tage brauchte es um die erste Injektion am Menschen durchzuführen. Lightspeed trifft es gut. Für mich waren die Einblicke in die Finanzwelt, die Investionen sowie die Projekte von Ganymed sehr spannend und neu. Von wissenschaftlicher Seite habe ich Vieles mitgenommen. Vor allem die Bedeutung der T-Zell Antwort neben der Rolle der Antikörper in der Bekämpfung des Virus. Gut, dass sich B2.9 bewährt hat. Ich bin gespannt, welche Krankheiten mit dieser Technologie behandelt werden können und in welchem klinischen Kontext mRNA in Zukunft eingesetzt wird.
„Die Entwicklung des Corona-Impfstoffs profitierte von der Krebsforschung, und jetzt werden unsere Krebsprogramme vom Erfolg unseres Corona-Vakzins profitieren.“
„Grundsätzlich gibt mRNA BioNTech eine Chance, Gesundheitsfürsorge zu demokratisieren.“
(Klingt utopisch, aber vielleicht doch ein Meilenstein um rare diseases zu bekämpfen.)
„Die Entwicklung des Corona-Impfstoffs profitierte von der Krebsforschung, und jetzt werden unsere Krebsprogramme vom Erfolg unseres Corona-Vakzins profitieren.“
„Grundsätzlich gibt mRNA BioNTech eine Chance, Gesundheitsfürsorge zu demokratisieren.“
(Klingt utopisch, aber vielleicht doch ein Meilenstein um rare diseases zu bekämpfen.)
March 3, 2023
With distance to the pandemic, the then prevailing flood of information, half-truths and false statements, it was very refreshing to read this book. It goes into detail about the history of the creation of the BioNTech vaccine, highlighting personal stories around and especially the two founders Ugur and Özlem. This gives the book another exciting level, which reaches its climax with the revealing of the study results. Very readable book for everyone who sees himself again in the position to deal in detail with this all overshadowing topic.
August 21, 2022
It’s a mix of biography, business, politics, science.
It is interesting to know the journey of and contribution of the scientist couple Uğur Şahin, Özlem Türeci, to development of world’s first COVID-19 vaccine. However, Joe Miller gives some random details unrelated to the topic at few points, which makes it distracting to read. If someone is mainly interested in the science behind the vaccine and the pandemic, per se – there is less information related to that. More on business insights, I would say.
Definitely, their contribution to COVID -19 vaccine has made them known to the world. Here is a fun video of what happens when vaccines meet at a party - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id9W8...
It is interesting to know the journey of and contribution of the scientist couple Uğur Şahin, Özlem Türeci, to development of world’s first COVID-19 vaccine. However, Joe Miller gives some random details unrelated to the topic at few points, which makes it distracting to read. If someone is mainly interested in the science behind the vaccine and the pandemic, per se – there is less information related to that. More on business insights, I would say.
Definitely, their contribution to COVID -19 vaccine has made them known to the world. Here is a fun video of what happens when vaccines meet at a party - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id9W8...
December 20, 2021
Ein packendes Buch, welches die Entwicklungsgeschichte des SARS-CoV-2 Impfstoffes beschreibt. Das Buch tut aber noch viel mehr als das: Es bringt dem Leser die beiden Menschen näher, welche all das erst möglich gemacht haben. Man empfindet große Dankbarkeit für Menschen wie Türeci und Sahin, weil sie durch ihren wissenschaftlichen Willen die Tür zur Heilung vieler Krankheiten geöffnet haben.
September 29, 2022
If you ever wondered how the famous mRNA Covid-19 based vaccine came to be then this book is definitely a must read. It was fascinating to learn about everything that went on in the quest of beating the pandemic and how chance and grit should never be underestimated. And even though the book deals with a quite scientifical subject, the writing style definitely made it an enjoyable read.
September 30, 2021
Sehr interessantes Buch mit vielen Hintergrundinformationen!
January 12, 2023
Wow what a great book, so inspirational. It was interesting to read how the vaccine I was given was created by these two amazing (married) people. It was quite science-y but not off-putting.
April 28, 2023
Really liked it. What an amazing story. We should be thankful to those people everyday
June 16, 2025
Sehr interessant und spannend zu lesen
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