Máté Hidvégi

Mate Hidvegi (born 9 November 1955 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Hungarian biochemist and co-inventor of Avemar and Oncomar, fermented wheat germ extract based nutraceuticals.

Life

Hidvegi was born in Budapest, Hungary, on 9 November 1955. He is the son of György Hidvégi-Hoffmann and Katalin Dávid.

Education and early career

He received his Bachelor of Science in 1978 and Master of Science in 1980 from Technology University Budapest. He also received his Doctor of Philosophy from Technology University Budapest in 1983.Then he taught at what is now Budapest University of Technology and Economics from 1984-1987 as assistant professor and since 1992 as professor. After finishing university, he worked in the cereal industry and was co-developer of a patented feed advisory system based on near infrared ingredient data. Hidvegi was the pioneer in the development of technologies of mass-production and therapeutic use of instantized herbal extracts in Hungary. Between 1988-1990 Hidvegi was Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Grain Research Laboratory of the Canadian Grain Commission, Winnipeg, Canada.

In 1996 Hidvegi was co-founder of Biromedicina (joint stock company), what is now called The First Hungarian Corporation for Cancer Research and Oncology. The company’s mission was to market Hidvegi's product Avemar, a fermented wheat germ extract-based nutraceutical.

Hidvegi holds a PhD and a Dr. Habil in chemistry, and an honorary professorship at the Jewish University, Budapest.

Early academic life

Hidvegi's first publications were about the theories of the origins of life, and the elaboration of a plausible mechanism for the biogenesis and evolution of biomembranes. He worked out the metabolic map as well as the reaction kinetics of a theoretical first living cell.

Development of Esterin

Hidvegi invented and hold the patent for the manufacturing process of an alfalfa-based extract (Esterin), which has been claimed to lower serum cholesterol levels (U.S patent 5,277,910 January 11, 1994).

Development of fermented wheat germ extract (Avemar/Ave)

Hidvegi is the co-inventor of a patented fermented wheat germ extract-based nutraceutical known as Avemar. In the U.S., Avemar is classified as a dietary supplement and marketed under the trade name Ave (American BioSciences, Inc.; Blauvelt, NY). In Hungary Avemar as a dietary food for cancer patients.

In 2009 Hidvegi marketed a new dietary food for special medical purposes for cancer patients based on the Avemar, which was sold as Oncomar and (in the U.S.) AvéUltra.