CORRECTING and REPLACING Imagine a World Where Cancer Is Not a Killer. National Geographic – Armed With Exclusive Access – to Follow World Scientists Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci on Their Journey to What Could Be a Game-Changing Cancer Therapy

Partnering with Academy- and BAFTA-winning Oxford Films, The Cancer Vaccine (w.t.) Follows Şahin and Türeci, Creators of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, as They Take on the Fight Against Cancer

Please replace the release dated June 14th, 2023, with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions.

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National Geographic announced the greenlight of THE CANCER VACCINE (w.t.), a new documentary special that will take viewers to the frontlines of the fight to cure cancer. With National Geographic's signature exclusive inside access, THE CANCER VACCINE will follow Uğur Şahin, right, and Özlem Türeci –husband and wife team who built German biotechnology giant BioNTech –as they and their team race competitors, skeptics, governments, and cancer itself to create an entirely new class of medicines that use the body's own defenses to defeat cancer. (credit: Oxford Films)

The updated release reads:

IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE CANCER IS NOT A KILLER. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – ARMED WITH EXCLUSIVE ACCESS – TO FOLLOW WORLD SCIENTISTS UĞUR ŞAHIN AND ÖZLEM TÜRECI ON THEIR JOURNEY TO WHAT COULD BE A GAME-CHANGING CANCER THERAPY

Partnering with Academy- and BAFTA-winning Oxford Films, The Cancer Vaccine (w.t.) Follows Şahin and Türeci, Creators of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, as They Take on the Fight Against Cancer

National Geographic announced today the greenlight of THE CANCER VACCINE (w.t.), a new documentary special that will take viewers to the frontlines of the fight against a devastating disease. With National Geographic's signature exclusive inside access, THE CANCER VACCINE will follow Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – husband-and-wife team who built German biotechnology giant BioNTech – alongside their dedicated teams, on their journey to pioneer a potential groundbreaking class of medicines harnessing the body's own defenses to fight cancer.

“THE CANCER VACCINE will give viewers a front-row seat and insightful perspective to the dedicated efforts of scientists in real time as they navigate the complex and multifaceted process of developing a potential therapeutic solution for cancer,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president of global factual and unscripted content, National Geographic. “With unprecedented inside access, we are honored to be able to shine a light on the heroes – the scientists, patients and people, who are working to combat this disease that affects far too many of our friends, families and neighbors.”

Imagine a world where a cancer diagnosis of even the most aggressive kind no longer means brutal chemotherapy or a death sentence; a world where every individual cancer patient gets a bespoke drug, individually tailored to the unique genetics of their tumor; and which could change the fate of cancer patients for the better.

THE CANCER VACCINE will take viewers to the frontlines of breakthrough science alongside the scientists, researchers and patients at the heart of this extraordinary endeavor, culminating in a story of inspiration, heartbreak, suffering and joy.

From Academy- and BAFTA-winning Oxford Films (“Hilary and Jackie,” “Restoration” “Diana, Our Mother”) and directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Patrick Forbes (“The Phantom,” “Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies”), THE CANCER VACCINE takes viewers to the heart of the cutting-edge research and patient trials that could have the power to change the way we treat cancer forever. From the construction of a machine-controlled factory capable of manufacturing individualized drugs to the crucial trials with select patients whose lives are on the line, this documentary dives into the complexities as well as the achievements the BioNTech team faces on their journey towards these groundbreaking cancer therapies.

THE CANCER VACCINE begins with the inspiring story of Şahin and Türeci’s fight against COVID-19 with the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. For years, mRNA, the technology that the couple had championed, was regarded as useless. But the COVID-19 pandemic proved that mRNA could work and deliver a vaccine that would protect millions of people around the world against COVID-19.

However, a cancerous tumor is a far harder foe than this novel virus. SARS-CoV-2 is the same person to person. But every tumor is different in everyone who suffers from it – which is why most current treatments only work in a fraction of the people given them and usually only then if the cancer is caught early.

Şahin, Türeci and their teams as well as collaborators have set an incredibly difficult task for themselves – to create utterly personalized medicines that are meticulously tailored according to the unique traits of each patient's cancer. They will deliver bespoke instructions to each individual patient’s immune system on how to destroy cancer in their body. Their aspiration extends beyond merely making a new treatment against cancer but to transform medicine, creating entirely new therapies that work with our body’s defenses, not against them.

Preliminary outcomes from early patient trials show encouraging results. The team at BioNTech underscores that this is merely the beginning stage of a comprehensive scientific endeavor.

This documentary will intimately follow the journey of the BioNTech team as they navigate the path from preliminary patient successes to potentially catalyzing a revolution in medical treatment.

From National Geographic Content, THE CANCER VACCINE is produced in partnership with Oxford Films. For Oxford Films, Nick Kent and Simon Finch are executive producers and Patrick Forbes is director. For National Geographic, Simon Raikes is commissioning editor and Tom McDonald is executive vice president, global factual and unscripted content.

About National Geographic Content

Award-winning and critically acclaimed National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, creates and delivers riveting stories and experiences in natural history, science, adventure and exploration. Inspiring a deeper connection to the world, the content studio reaches 300 million people worldwide in 180 countries and 33 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Its diverse content includes Emmy^® Award-winning franchise Genius, series Life Below Zero and Secrets of the Whales, and Oscar^®- and BAFTA award-winning film Free Solo. In 2022, National Geographic Content was awarded eight News and Documentary Emmys, in addition to Life Below Zero’s Emmy win for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program, it’s sixth Emmy overall. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or follow Nat Geo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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