Kathrin Jansen

Kathrin U. Jansen (born 1958) is the former^[1] Head of Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer. She previously led the development of the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) and newer versions of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar), and is working with BioNTech to create a COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA (Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine) that was approved for Emergency Use Authorization in the United States on December 11, 2020.^[2]

Kathrin Jansen
Born	Ute Kathrin Jansen 1958 (age 65–66) East Germany
Alma mater	University of Marburg
Scientific career
Institutions	Pfizer Wyeth University of Pennsylvania Merck & Co. VaxGen GlaxoSmithKline Cornell University University of Marburg
Thesis	Die Assimilation von Kohlenstoff durch Desulfovibrio barsii, ein Formiat-oxidierendes, Sulfat-reduzierendes Bakterium  (1984)
Doctoral advisor	Rudolf K. Thauer

Early life and education

Jansen was born in Erfurt, East Germany.^[3][4] She was frequently unwell as a child, and suffered several throat infections. The medical treatment she received from her father (antibiotics, codeine) inspired her to pursue a career in drug development. Her family fled to West Germany before the Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961. To transport Jansen across the border, her aunt pretended that she was her child, giving her some sleeping pills so that she didn't wake up and tell the border patrol the truth.^[3] Her family settled in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia. She eventually studied biology at the University of Marburg, with the hope to work in the pharmaceutical industry.^[3] Whilst she was an undergraduate, Rudolf K. Thauer arrived at the university, and established a department of microbiology.^[3] Jansen completed her doctoral degree at the University of Marburg, where she studied chemical pathways in bacteria.^[5][6][7] After earning her degree, Jansen moved to Cornell University as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation postdoctoral fellow investigating the function of the acetylcholine receptor with George Paul Hess.^[8][9] In particular, Jansen focussed on the yeast expression of multi-subunit neuronal receptors.^[3]

Research and career

Jansen was fascinated by the development of novel pharmaceuticals, and wanted to return to Europe, so moved to Geneva to join the Glaxo Institute for Molecular Biology. At the Glaxo Institute for Molecular Biology Jansen encouraged the immunologists to create a novel receptor for immunoglobulin E.^[3] She completed an internship in the laboratory of David Bishop at the University of Oxford, where she studied the expression of insect cells using baculoviridae.^[3]

In 1992 Jansen moved back to the United States, where she joined the vaccine division at Merck & Co. She became interested in making vaccines, and started work on the human papillomavirus infection.^[10] Soon after Jian Zhou and Ian Frazer started work on the HPV vaccine, proposing that the proteins of the human papillomavirus infection virus-like particles could be self assembled into something that could be used as a vaccine. Jansen proposed the vaccine should be made in yeast, a substrate which Merck & Co. had previously used for the Hepatitis B vaccine.^[10][11] Various innovations were required to ensure that the yeast did not degrade the virus like particles, and prevent their aggregation.^[3] Jansen managed to convince Edward Scolnick that the experimental vaccine was worth pursuing, and started to make the assays. Jansen worked with Laura Koutsky at the University of Washington to conduct natural history studies that informed the phase 2 clinical trials.^[3] In 2002 the vaccination was proven 100% effective,^[12][13] and Jansen left the Merck & Co. knowing that the vaccination would be a success.^[10][14][15]

She joined VaxGen in 2004, where she was appointed chief scientific officer.^[16] In 2006 Jansen left VaxGen to join Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 2006, where she was responsible for vaccine discovery.^[8] Here she developed the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar-13).^[17] In 2010 Jansen was appointed adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania.^[8]

Jansen is concerned about the rise of vaccine hesitancy. During a conference at Pfizer in 2019, she said “I don't know what motivates an individual to ignore scientific facts. As scientists, it is our obligation to rectify misinformation and to provide the facts on what we know and what we don't know,”.^[17]

During the COVID-19 pandemic Jansen oversaw the development of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.^[18][19] She looked at four potential candidates, before joining with BioNTech to improve the likelihood of identifying the vaccine with the highest potential.^[10][20] To test efficacy, Jansen and Pfizer are working under guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and conducting a 30,000 patient study.^[10] In July 2020 Jansen announced positive results in their clinical trials, resulting in an increase in the share price of Pfizer.^[21]

Select publications

• Aubry, Jean-Pierre; Pochon, Sibylle; Graber, Pierre; Jansen, Kathrin U.; Bonnefoy, Jean-Yves (1992). "CD21 is a ligand for CD23 and regulates IgE production". Nature. 358 (6386): 505–507. Bibcode:1992Natur.358..505A. doi:10.1038/358505a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 1386409. S2CID 4318355.
• Jansen, Kathrin U.; Rosolowsky, Mark; Schultz, Loren D.; Markus, Henry Z.; Cook, James C.; Donnelly, John J.; Martinez, Douglas; Ellis, Ronald W.; Shaw, Alan R. (1995-01-01). "Vaccination with yeast-expressed cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) virus-like particles protects rabbits from CRPV-induced papilloma formation". Vaccine. 13 (16): 1509–1514. doi:10.1016/0264-410X(95)00103-8. ISSN 0264-410X. PMID 8578834.
• Koutsky, Laura A.; Ault, Kevin A.; Wheeler, Cosette M.; Brown, Darron R.; Barr, Eliav; Alvarez, Frances B.; Chiacchierini, Lisa M.; Jansen, Kathrin U. (2002-11-21). "A Controlled Trial of a Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Vaccine". New England Journal of Medicine. 347 (21): 1645–1651. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa020586. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 12444178.

References

1. Kingwell, Katie (2022-11-11). "COVID vaccines: "We flew the aeroplane while we were still building it"". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 21 (12): 872–873. doi:10.1038/d41573-022-00191-2. PMID 36369370. S2CID 253479433.
2. "Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine". FDA. 2020-12-29.
3. Jansen, Kathrin U. (2010). "The path to developing a cervical cancer vaccine". Human Vaccines. 6 (10): 777–779. doi:10.4161/hv.6.10.13824. ISSN 1554-8600. PMID 20953153. S2CID 34408645.
4. . Breakthroughs. 2019-04-10. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
5. Jansen, Kathrin (1989). Pharmakokinetik und Pharmakodynamik von Atropin nach intravenöser und endobronchialer Applikation Untersuchungen am narkotisierten Hausschwein (Thesis) (in German). OCLC 721741019.
6. Jansen, Kathrin; Thauer, Rudolf K.; Widdel, Fritz; Fuchs, Georg (1984-07-01). "Carbon assimilation pathways in sulfate reducing bacteria. Formate, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and acetate assimilation by Desulfovibrio baarsii". Archives of Microbiology. 138 (3): 257–262. doi:10.1007/BF00402132. ISSN 1432-072X. S2CID 8587232.
7. Jansen, Kathrin; Fuchs, Georg; K.Thauer, Rudolf (1985-07-01). "Autotrophic CO2 fixation by Desulfovibrio baarsii: Demonstration of enzyme activities characteristic for the acetyl-CoA pathway". FEMS Microbiology Letters. 28 (3): 311–315. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.1985.tb00812.x. ISSN 0378-1097.
8. "Kathrin Jansen, Ph.D. | Pfizer". www.pfizer.com. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
9. "Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer". FierceBiotech. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
10. "For its Covid-19 vaccine, Pfizer turns to a scientist who has gotten results". STAT. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
11. Journal, Gardiner HarrisStaff Reporter of The Wall Street (2002-11-21). "Merck Vaccine Shows Promise In Preventing Cervical Cancer". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
12. Koutsky, Laura A.; Ault, Kevin A.; Wheeler, Cosette M.; Brown, Darron R.; Barr, Eliav; Alvarez, Frances B.; Chiacchierini, Lisa M.; Jansen, Kathrin U.; Proof of Principle Study Investigators (2002-11-21). "A controlled trial of a human papillomavirus type 16 vaccine". The New England Journal of Medicine. 347 (21): 1645–1651. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa020586. ISSN 1533-4406. PMID 12444178.
13. Grady, Denise (2002-11-20). "Experimental Vaccine Appears to Prevent Cervical Cancer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
14. Grady, Denise (2002-11-21). "Vaccine Appears to Prevent Cervical Cancer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
15. Grady, Denise (2003-06-22). "CANCER; The Cross-Country Duo Behind a Breakthrough Vaccine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
16. "Kathrin Jansen departs Vaxgen - Pharmaceutical industry news". www.thepharmaletter.com. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
17. Ramaswamy, Swapna Venugopal. "Pfizer's Kathrin Jansen leads the charge on vaccines". The Journal News. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
18. Ramaswamy, Swapna Venugopal. "Pearl River-based Pfizer working on coronavirus vaccine; head of vaccines answers questions". The Journal News. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
19. Vardi, Nathan. "The Race Is On: Why Pfizer May Be The Best Bet To Deliver A Vaccine By The Fall". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
20. "Pfizer sees 'mostly mild to moderate' safety profile in phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study". FiercePharma. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
21. Lovelace, Berkeley Jr. (2020-07-01). "Pfizer stock jumps after it reports positive data in early stage coronavirus vaccine trial". CNBC. Retrieved 2020-09-19.