Sir Marc Feldmann is a pre-eminent immunologist whose transformative work has revolutionized the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases worldwide. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford, where he previously served as Head of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology until 2014. Trained in medicine at Melbourne University, he earned his PhD in Immunology at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute under the mentorship of Sir Gus Nossal before establishing his research career in London at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. His early career trajectory culminated in a pivotal appointment at the Charing Cross Sunley Research Centre, where he would make his landmark contributions to immunological science.
Professor Feldmann's most significant achievement was developing a novel hypothesis for the mechanism of autoimmune diseases in the 1980s, which highlighted the critical role of cytokines in disease pathology. Collaborating with Sir Ravinder Maini, he demonstrated that diseased joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients contain elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, identifying tumor necrosis factor alpha as the key mediator driving inflammation. This breakthrough discovery provided the scientific foundation for anti-TNF therapies, which dramatically reduced inflammation in both in vitro models and subsequent clinical trials beginning in 1992. The resulting anti-TNF biologics have since become the leading drug class for inflammatory conditions, with 2016 global sales exceeding $36 billion, transforming previously debilitating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis into largely manageable conditions.
Beyond his TNF research, Professor Feldmann has made substantial contributions to cytokine biology through his work on IL-6 receptor antibodies, which have been approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile arthritis worldwide. His scientific achievements have been recognized through election to the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences USA, and the Australian Academy of Science, along with prestigious international awards including the Albert Lasker Clinical Research Award and the Crafoord Prize. Knighted in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to medical science, he continues to influence the field through ongoing research, with recent publications examining biologic DMARDs and potential applications of anti-TNF therapy for conditions including frozen shoulder and even COVID-19. His legacy endures through life-changing therapies benefiting millions of patients and his paradigm-shifting approach that transformed monoclonal antibodies from scientific curiosities into mainstream therapeutics.
