KAMPALA, Uganda— Dr. Matthias Magoola, founder of Dei Biopharma has unveiled an innovative initiative to reduce the cost of biological drugs and cancer treatments— stating that over 80% of the world’s population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, cannot afford existing therapies.
Speaking at the 5th Uganda Conference on Cancer & Palliative Care at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Dr. Magoola outlined how his company is working to change this paradigm with a new Universal mRNA Cancer Vaccine platform, for which it filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 21, 2025.
The vaccine, which Dr. Magoola and his team developed, represents a significant advance in cancer immunotherapy.
Unlike traditional personalized vaccines that require patient-specific tumor sequencing and a manufacturing process that can take months, he said this new platform uses a universal, “off-the-shelf” mRNA approach.
The vaccine is designed to use non-tumor-specific antigens to trigger a broad immune response called epitope spreading, which allows the body to identify and attack cancer cells without prior knowledge of their specific antigens.
This method could make treatment immediately available and reduce costs by as much as 100-fold compared to personalized vaccines,’ he said.
The vaccine, he said is part of Dei Biopharma’s broader mission to make biological drugs more accessible.
Dr. Magoola explained that Dei Biopharma’s strategy involves using synthesis-based therapeutic proteins to bypass expensive and complex recombinant processes.
This approach addresses the high costs of current treatments for conditions like spinal muscular atrophy and hemophilia B, which can cost millions of dollars per dose.
He announced that Dei Biopharma secured FDA acceptance to waive clinical efficacy studies for its monoclonal antibody biosimilars, which it says will fundamentally change how these drugs are developed and approved.
“We are planning to manufacture these treatments in Uganda for global distribution,” he said.
The FDA also formally accepted the development plans for two products, liraglutide and semaglutide, on Aug. 7, 2025.
He said Dei Biopharma projects sales of these drugs to exceed $1 billion within 90 days of their approval.
Dr. Magoola said that Dei Biopharma is seeking a patent for a CAR-T cell immunotherapy for cancer that he says will cost less than $100 per patient, a dramatic reduction from the current cost of more than $500,000.
In June 2025, Magoola was named a national “Faces of Science” in Uganda for his contributions to biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.
He has authored several peer-reviewed papers on his research, which aims to democratize access to advanced medical treatments for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
