{
  "id": 2936655,
  "title": "Ein junger Forscher übernimmt einen Kühlschrank voller Bakterien. Elf Jahre später verkauft er seine Firma für bis zu 450 Millionen Franken – wie geht das?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/ein-junger-forscher-ubernimmt-einen-kuhlschrank-voller-bakterien-elf",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T03:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/ein-junger-forscher-uebernimmt-einen-kuehlschrank-voller-bakterien-elf-jahre-spaeter-verkauft-er-seine-firma-fuer-bis-zu-450-millionen-franken-wie-geht-das-ld.10004637"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Simon Ittig, a 44-year-old microbiologist, discovered a potential new approach to combat cancer during his doctoral studies. His breakthrough involved a fridge full of bacteria, a legacy from his father's lab. Ittig realized the bacteria's unique ability to inject proteins into cells, which could be manipulated to selectively target cancer cells. Despite the immense work and financial challenges, Ittig persisted, eventually selling his company to the pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim for up to 450 million Swiss Francs. Ittig attributes his success to a combination of luck, support, personality, and hard work. He acknowledges that the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland lacks the same level of young talent as other locations, attributing this to the availability of resources, expertise, and a supportive environment in his home country.",
  "summary": "Simon Ittig hat möglicherweise einen neuen Ansatz für die Bekämpfung von Krebs entdeckt. Manchmal fragt er sich, warum nicht mehr junge Schweizer Forscher den Schritt zur Unternehmensgründung wagen.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}