Transition of Office at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut – President Professor Klaus Cichutek Set to Retire, Professor Stefan Vieths To Become Acting Head

From left to right: Professor Stefan Vieths, Professor Karl Lauterbach and Professor Klaus Cichutek. Source: BMG/Schinkel

Federal Minister of Health Professor Karl Lauterbach officially presented the outgoing President with his certificate of retirement in Berlin on 20 December, 2023. In addition, Professor Lauterbach named Professor Stefan Vieths as acting head of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut with effect from 1 January, 2024. Stefan Vieths has been working at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut since 1995 and has held the office of Vice President for 13 years. His areas of responsibility have included official federal acts, product testing, the handling of counterfeit medicines and parallel imports, and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut's involvement in European medicines authorities’ benchmarking. Stefan Vieths also heads the internal reorganisation project, planning for the new building, and, on a temporary basis, the administration division. As an internationally renowned scientist with many years of leadership experience at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut and as a designated expert at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, his work has also involved roles such as shaping the current international medicinal product regulations for allergen products.

Federal Minister of Health Professor Karl Lauterbach:
"Professor Klaus Cichutek has made an extraordinary contribution to medicinal product safety in Germany. He has significantly shaped the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut's work during his 35 years. Even during the pandemic, his agency demonstrated its capabilities and took on an international leadership role. Without the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut's outstanding experience and vaccine technology research laboratories, the rapid development and production of effective and safe COVID vaccines would not have been conceivable. The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is the envy of other nations. My personal thanks go to Professor Cichutek for his self-sacrificing commitment."

Professor Klaus Cichutek, President of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut:
"Over the past 15 years, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut has continued to effectively ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines and highly complex biomedicines and to evaluate high-risk in vitro diagnostic medical devices. The efforts that the employees of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut make for the health of vaccinees and patients became clear during the pandemic. Together with the Institute staff I was able to contribute to regulatory achievements at EMA, EDQM, and WHO and to high-quality research at the Institute. I would like to thank the employees and the Federal Ministry of Health for their support and trust. Today, we at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut are leaders in Europe thanks to our expertise in the field of vaccines and biomedicines. We are an indispensable global partner at organisations such as WHO and an important contributor to the development of new biomedicines in Germany and Europe. The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut will continue on under the leadership of an experienced researcher, regulator, and manager with Stefan Vieths. I will of course stay connected to the Institute and its forward-looking approach."

Professor Stefan Vieths, Vice President and acting head of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut as of January 2024:
"I look forward to my new role as acting head of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut with great anticipation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Klaus Cichutek for his many years of excellent collaboration, his tireless commitment to biomedicine, and his contributions to public health beyond the borders of Germany. Over the years he has played an essential role in raising the profile of our Institute in the field of vaccines and biomedicines. Based on this solid foundation, my goal is to continue the professional and organisational development of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, as well as to promote process harmonisation and digitisation. These measures will allow us to continue to use our Institute's flexibility and adaptability to establish new structures and thus be constantly prepared for the future."

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