Erik Hack

Erik Hack (1952) studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and completed his PhD also in medicine. After his thesis he held several positions in the former Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, now Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, ranging from principal investigator to head of the Department of Immunopathology. He was appointed as Professor in Immunology at the Free University Medical Center in 1994. Thereafter he became head of the Protein Biologics Group of Crucell (currently part of J&J), in The Netherlands. In 2009 he accepted the position of Professor of Immunology at the University Medical Center in Utrecht (UMCU),founded the Laboratory of Translational Immunology, which harbours all immunology research of the UMCU, and initiated the strategic program on Infection and Immunity. He has assisted to found the Dutch patients association of hereditary and Quincke’s edema. Erik Hack’s research interests are the role of inflammation and coagulation in experimental and human diseases. He has performed a number of clinical and experimental studies on C1-inhibitor in angioedema as well as in other diseases such as sepsis and myocardial infarction, and amongst others has initiated projects on recombinant C1-inhibitor (Ruconest, Pharming Technologies) and plasma-derived C1-inhibitor (Cinryze, now Shire). Both products have been approved by the EMA and the FDA. His current research is on the modulation of inflammatory and coagulation responses in human (neuro-)inflammatory disease with antibodies against key mediators. One of the antibodies discovered by Erik Hack, is an antibody, ArgX-117, now evaluated by ArgenX company in clinical studies. In addition, Erik Hack has co-founded Synerkine Pharma which develops fusion proteins of cytokines for the treatment of inflammatory and immune diseases, as well as of chronic pain. Erik Hack has co-authored over 500 peer-reviewed papers, which have been cited more than 44,000 times (H-index 108, Google Scholar, 28 april 2020). In addition, he has written >20 patents.