In a landmark achievement for both Uganda and the global medical community, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted and published a patent on February 6, 2025, to Dr Matthias Magoola, a Ugandan scientist and founder of Dei Bio-Pharma, for a revolutionary cancer treatment using guided mRNA technology.
Dr Magoola, who is also the managing director of Dei BioPharma, is at the forefront of pharmaceutical and biotech innovations in Uganda. His firm is currently constructing a multi-billion-dollar vaccine and drug manufacturing facility in Matugga, near Kampala.
This latest patent highlights a significant advancement in cancer therapy and marks Uganda’s growing influence in global health innovation.
A NEW FRONTIER IN CANCER TREATMENT
Dr Magoola’s invention utilizes a novel composition of guided mRNA attached to the Cas9 protein, a tool central to gene-editing technologies. This complex technology specifically targets and disrupts mutated genes responsible for cancer, preventing their repair, and leading to the destruction of cancerous cells.
This represents a significant step forward from the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which won Professors Emmanu- elle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Unlike existing FDA-approved gene-editing therapies, Dr Magoola’s method is designed exclusively for cancer treatment.
It targets only the mutated cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. This high degree of specificity offers the potential to treat all types of cancer, regardless of stage, while avoiding the debilitating side effects associated with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, antibody therapy and radiation.
“This technology represents a paradigm shift in how we approach cancer treatment,” Magoola said in an interview on February 9, 2025. “All details of the manufacturing of this product have been completed and are ready to go for testing.”
NEXT STEPS: FDA APPROVAL AND CLINICAL TRIALS
Following the publication of the patent, Magoola has been invited to submit an approval plan to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2025, setting the stage for clinical trials to begin before the end of the year.
The market potential for this groundbreaking treatment is immense, estimated at $300 billion. Importantly, its simplicity and cost-effectiveness mean it could be made accessible globally, including in developing countries. This is especially significant given the projected global cancer burden of 35 million cases annually by 2030.
“This invention is not just a scientific breakthrough—it’s a humanitarian contribution aimed at eradicating cancer worldwide,” Magoola emphasized.
BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF INNOVATION
This patent adds to a growing list of achievements for Dr Magoola and Dei Bio-Pharma. On January 7, 2025, the USPTO accepted their application for a universal vaccine against foot and mouth disease (FMD), another first in global pharmaceutical research.
Magoola’s contributions to vaccine research and biotechnology have earned him international recognition. In December 2024, he received the International Molecular Biologist award and was also honored as Best Researcher for his innovative work using mRNA technology to develop therapeutic drugs and protein vaccines.
His research, “Advancing Therapeutic and Vaccine Proteins: Switching from Recombinant to Ribosomal Delivery—A Humanitarian Cause”, was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
GLOBAL RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
Magoola is a member of Sigma Xi, the prestigious U.S. scientific society whose members have included Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling. He has also been named one of the pharmaceutical CEOs to watch in 2025 by the Silicon Valley Review.
Under his leadership, Dei BioPharma, Uganda’s first research-based biotechnology and pharmaceutical firm, has received numerous international innovation awards. The company was recently named Best Pharma Company at the African Excellence awards by MEA Markets (London, UK).
Dei BioPharma is currently developing a biological drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility in Matugga, Wakiso district. Among its flagship products is the Dei anti-malarial drug, derived from natural sources and confirmed by U.S. laboratories as the most efficient anti-malarial drug ever discovered. This drug is currently awaiting a U.S. patent.
Magoola also developed a Covid-19 vaccine using mRNA technology, currently stored in a U.S. cell bank and ready for deployment as the virus evolves. He has filed over 100 patents in the U.S. for treatments and vaccines targeting cancer, HIV, Alzheimer’s, malaria, tuberculosis, and diabetes.
One of his notable patents includes an mRNA-encoded darbepoetin, a therapeutic protein for acute kidney failure and cancer treatment, which is currently under FDA review.
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