In a significant nod to local innovation, President Yoweri Museveni has applauded Dr. Matthias Magoola, founder of Dei Biopharma Limited, for securing a U.S. patent for a groundbreaking cancer treatment.
During a meeting held at State House Entebbe on Sunday, the President pledged full government support to the company’s mission of making Ugandan-made vaccines and therapies globally recognized.
President Museveni emphasized the urgency of passing the National Drug and Health Products Act, a key legislative step that would enable Uganda’s National Drug Authority (NDA) to meet World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 accreditation—a benchmark required for the NDA to license and regulate locally manufactured vaccines for global distribution.
“We will ensure that the National Drug Act is expedited so that your vaccines and medicines can compete globally. Uganda should be part of the future of science,” President Museveni said during the meeting.
The meeting comes on the heels of a historic moment: on February 6, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially published a patent by Dr. Magoola for a novel cancer therapy based on guided RNA and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.
While CRISPR-Cas9 technology— pioneered by Nobel Laureates Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Prof. Jennifer Doudna—is widely known for its gene-editing precision, Dr. Magoola’s patented invention represents a bold leap forward.
His method not only targets cancer-causing mutations but prevents the cell from re-pairing the disrupted genes, leading to the destruction of only cancerous cells, sparing healthy tissue.
“This is a significant milestone for our research. Our therapy is designed to eliminate cancer cells at the genetic level, without harming healthy ones. It offers hope for treating all types of cancer without the harsh side effects of chemotherapy or radiation,” Dr. Magoola said.
The innovation is just one in a series of ambitious projects by Dei Biopharma, a Ugandan-based biotechnology firm that has filed over 100 patents in the U.S. for treatments ranging from HIV, Alzheimer’s, Malaria, to diabetes and tuberculosis.
Magoola also highlighted the pressing infrastructure needs for scaling production, requesting 8 megawatts of electricity from the government to power Dei’s 12 specialised biotech facilities, critical for the sterile production of vaccines and life-saving medicines.
“We are grateful for His Excellency’s unwavering support,” Magoola added. “Without his vision and leadership, Uganda’s pharmaceutical manufacturing journey wouldn’t be where it is today.”
Among Dei Biopharma’s other recent achievements is a universal vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Accepted by the USPTO on January 7, 2025, the vaccine— titled Affordable Universal Fusion Universal Vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease Infections—is expected to save the Ugandan government billions in imports and significantly reduce outbreaks affecting livestock.
These developments mark a promising shift in Uganda’s biotechnology landscape, positioning the country as a future hub for high-impact medical research and pharmaceutical innovation on the African continent and beyond.
But for Dei Biopharma to succeed globally, experts note that government support must go beyond political endorsements—it must include policy implementation, energy investment, and sustained financial support to empower local scientists to innovate at scale.
As Uganda stands on the brink of a new scientific frontier, the message from Entebbe is clear: homegrown science deserves a global stage. And Dei Biopharma may be the company to lead the way.
