Norbert Bischofberger (biochemist)

Norbert W. Bischofberger (2012)

Norbert W. Bischofberger (born January 10, 1956 in Mellau ) is an Austrian biochemist . He is the developer of therapeutic influenza Tamiflu and other drugs against other infectious diseases, such as HIV -Therapeutikum Viread or Sovaldi , a drug against hepatitis C .

Career

Norbert Bischofberger grew up in Mellau in the Bregenz Forest ( Vorarlberg ), where his parents owned an inn. He is the second youngest of six children. According to his own statements, his interest in science was aroused in childhood: "Since I can remember, I wanted to be a chemist," he told Weltwoche in 2020.

After elementary school in Mellau , Bischofberger attended the Cistercian grammar school Mehrerau in Bregenz , which he graduated with the Matura . From 1975 to 1980 he studied chemistry at the University of Innsbruck . He then obtained his doctorate from the ETH Zurich .

Despite various offers from European chemical companies, Norbert Bischofberger emigrated to the USA in 1983 and completed his postgraduate studies at Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts . He then stayed with Genentech in the USA for the time being and from 1990 worked for Gilead Sciences , of which he had been Vice President since 2000.

Inspired by the preparations “Amantadin” and “Rimantadin”, which could only fight one type of flu and also showed strong side effects, Bischofberger and his team developed the drug “Tamiflu” in 1994 and subsequently seven other highly effective agents against viral diseases .

Since 2007 he has been Executive Vice President Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Bayer .

In September 2014, Bischofberger was voted Austrian Abroad of the Year 2014 .

The University of Innsbruck awarded Bischofberger an honorary doctorate in natural sciences on July 1, 2016.

In 2018, Bischofberger left Gilead and devoted himself to hematology and oncology at Kronos Bio .

Private

In 2006 Norbert Bischofberger bought the "Hotel Sonne" in the center of Mellau , which had previously belonged to his family. From March to December 2008 he had the main building completely renovated and the hotel complex expanded into a 4-star superior hotel . The hotel reopened on December 12, 2008.

His younger sister is the journalist and book author Conny Bischofberger (* 1960).

At Gilead, Bischofberger said he didn't take a single day of vacation and he hoped to die while at work.

Web links

• Gilead: Norbert W. Bischofberger (accessed May 3, 2009)
• Official website of Hotel Sonne (Lifestyle Resort Bregenzerwald; accessed on January 3, 2018)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Conny Bischofberger in the courier of May 3, 2009: The whole fuss is not good (pages 4 and 5; Note: the editor Conny Bischofberger is the sister of Norbert Bischofberger)
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Virus tamer from Vorarlberg , Weltwoche 20.20, page 40
3. ↑ Press release Austria: Tamiflu could have come from Austria too! , Press release of the Austrian Trade Association from November 11, 2005 (accessed on May 3, 2009)
4. ↑ Virenbändiger from Vorarlberg , Weltwoche 20:20, page 40
5. ↑ Annual General Meeting 2017 - Dr. Norbert W. Bischofberger ( Memento of the original from January 4, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Bayer AG; last change: September 21, 2017) 
6. ^ Vorarlbergernachrichten.at: Wälder ist Auslandsösterreicher 2014 , from September 5, 2014, accessed on September 5, 2014.
7. ↑ "I wanted to start and build up a young company again" , themavorarlberg.at, May 2019
8. ↑ Wirtschaftsblatt of March 28, 2008: ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Tamiflu inventor buys hotel in Vorarlberg. ) Retrieved on May 3, 2009.
9. ↑ Vorarlberg Online from October 24, 2008: Old flair in a new "sun" (accessed on May 3, 2009)