Jan Holmgren to receive award for the development of cholera vaccine

The Park MahnHoon Award is the name of the award that Jan Holmgren, Senior Professor at the University of Gothenburg, has been awarded and will receive in Seoul, Korea, at the end of April. His research has led the way for the first effective and drinkable cholera vaccine, Dukoral, IVI writes in a press release.

The award motivation highlights his collaboration with researcher Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Professor at the University of Gothenburg, on research into the disease and immunity mechanisms of cholera, and the collaboration with Johan Clemens, former Director-General of IVI, on the development of a affordable cholera vaccine, Shanchol, for low-income countries.

In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended drinkable cholera vaccines to combat the disease in vulnerable areas, and today, it is one of the cornerstones of the WHO’s efforts to eradicate cholera by 2030.

The prize money for Mr Holmgren is 100 million Korean Won, equivalent to approximately SEK 800,000. Along with Jan Holmgren, Barney Graham and Jason McLellan are also honoured for their research on spike proteins, which led to the development of Covid and RSV vaccines.

The Park MahnHoon Award is given annually by IVI and SK bioscience and is named after the vaccine company’s former vice chairman, Park MahnHoon, and this year marks the third year of the award.