The Hoffans were a race of humans from the planet Hoff, a planet visited by the Atlantis expedition during their first year in the Pegasus Galaxy.
History
When Lt. Colonel John Sheppard's team visited the Hoffans, they were at first shown around the city, until the leader of the Hoffans informed them about the cure against the Wraith feeding they were working on. The Atlantis expedition decided to help them and with the help of Dr. Carson Beckett they were able to complete the cure and tested it on the Wraith which the Atlantis expedition had captured earlier.
It was discovered, however, that not only did the vaccine kill the Wraith who fed on a person using the substance, but that it also only worked on 50% of the people who were using it, while the other half died. Nevertheless, the Hoffans decided to use it despite AR-1's warnings that the Wraith won't let them live with such a cure. Appalled by the society's ruthlessness, AR-1 left. (SGA: "Poisoning the Well")
A scavenger on Hoff.
It later turned out that the Atlantis expedition was right since the Wraith destroyed the entire Hoffan population after they found out about the vaccine. Micheal Kenmore stole the information about the Hoffan drug from the archives and began using it in his own war against the Wraith, before he was eventually stopped by the Atlantis expedition. (SGA: "The Kindred, Part 1")
Technology and Culture
Hoffan society was technology and aesthetically similar to the United States “circa 1918.” Dr. Beckett noted that they had “mastered a few basics: biochemistry, physiology, perhaps even some form of molecular biology.” Chancellor Druhin claimed they were making stries towards harnessing geothermal energy, though Rodney doubted their chances of success. Unlike Americans of the early twentieth century, however, Hoffan society seemed less patriarchal: Dr. Perna’s skills were respected enough that she was entrusted with their most valued scientific endevor, Teyla was treated with the same respect as her male teammates, and it is implied that Hoffan women participated in the vote regarding the drug.
Hoffan government was comprised of at least two branches: the Hoffan Council and the Chancellor. It is unclear how duties were split between the two bodies, but it appears the Chancellor had to seek the Council’s permission before the populace was inoculated. If an issue were serious enough, as was the case with the highly lethal Hoffan Drug, direct democracy could be implemented, requiring every citizen to voice their opinion on a course of action.
The Hoffman people were ruled by an obsession with perfecting their anti-Wraith drug and were willing to sacrifice themselves or others to test its effectiveness. The Hoffans saw this as honoring their forefathers who had sacrificed so much to lay the groundwork for the achievement; some seemed to view it as an almost religious obligation. Their dedication to the project was so extreme that they were willing to sacrifice their own lives or the lives of their fellows to achieve their “victory.” Ultimately, this obsession is what led to their destruction.