Uganda, February 10, 2024 – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 6, 2025, granted and published a patent to Ugandan scientist Dr. Matthias Magoola for a novel cancer treatment using guided RNA. Dr. Magoola is the Founder and Managing Director of Dei BioPharma, the pharmaceutical and biotech firm, currently developing a multi-billion vaccines and drugs manufacturing plant in Mattuga, near Kampala.
This invention, years in the making, represents a significant advancement in cancer therapy. It utilises a novel composition of guided RNA attached to the Cas9 protein. This complex targets and disrupts mutated genes responsible for cancer, preventing their repair and ultimately killing the cancerous cells. (See: https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/authorize.html?redirect=print/pdfRedirectDownload/20250043258)
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While the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which allows for precise gene editing, earned Professors Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dr. Magoola’s invention takes this technology a crucial step further. Instead of allowing the cell to repair the disrupted gene, his method prevents this repair, leading to the targeted destruction of cancer cells.
Unlike existing FDA-approved gene editing products, Dr. Magoola’s invention is specifically designed to treat cancer by disrupting the mutated genes. Critically, it targets only cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed. This specificity offers the potential to treat all types of cancer, regardless of stage, and eliminates the debilitating side effects associated with traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, antibody therapy, and radiation.
Following the patent publication, Dr. Magoola has been requested to submit an approval plan to the US FDA in March 2025, paving the way for clinical trials to begin before the end of 2025. “All details of the manufacturing of this product have been completed and are ready to go for testing,” Dr. Magoola stated in an interview on Sunday, February 9, 2025.
This ground-breaking treatment holds immense promise, and represents a USD 300 billion market. Its simplicity will make it accessible globally, including in developing countries, at a minimal cost. This is particularly significant considering the projected global cancer burden of 35 million cases annually by 2030. Dr. Magoola emphasizes that this invention is a humanitarian contribution aimed at eradicating cancer worldwide.
This achievement follows another recent milestone for Dr. Magoola and Dei BioPharma. On January 7, 2025, the USPTO accepted their application for a patent on the world’s first universal vaccine against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Dr Magoola’s other works:
Dr. Magoola’s contributions to vaccine research have garnered international recognition. In December 2024, he received the prestigious International Molecular Biologist Award. He was also awarded the Best Researcher Award for his innovative research using mRNA technology to develop therapeutic drugs and protein vaccines, following the publication of his study, “Advancing Therapeutic and Vaccine Proteins: Switching from Recombinant to Ribosomal Delivery—A Humanitarian Cause,” in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. He is a member of Sigma Xi, the prestigious US scientific society whose members have included Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, and has been nominated by the Silicon Valley Review as one of the pharmaceutical CEOs to watch in 2025.
Under Dr. Magoola’s leadership, Dei BioPharma, Uganda’s first research-based biotechnology and pharmaceuticals firm, has received numerous international innovation awards, including being named the best pharma company at the African Excellence Awards by MEA Markets (London, UK).
Dei BioPharma is currently developing a flagship biological drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility in Mattuga, Wakiso District. Their flagship product, a Dei Anti-Malarial drug derived from natural sources, has been confirmed in US laboratories to be the most efficient anti-malarial drug ever discovered and is awaiting a US patent.
Dr. Magoola also developed a COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA technology in the USA, currently stored in a US cell bank and ready for deployment as the virus mutates. He has over 100 patents filed in the USA for treatments and vaccines targeting various diseases, including cancer, HIV, Alzheimer’s, Malaria, TB, and diabetes.
One of his patents covers an mRNA-encoded darbepoetin, a therapeutic protein for acute kidney failure and cancer treatment, which is under FDA review. The FDA is actively advising Dr. Magoola on bringing this product to patients worldwide, recognizing its potential as a leading example of future biological therapies. Dr. Magoola emphasizes the speed and cost-effectiveness of mRNA technology, which he actively promotes and teaches to others.
Another FDA filing from Dr. Magoola focuses on rejuvenating the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s. He has published research on improving drug delivery to the brain, a critical factor that has hindered previous attempts to develop effective treatments. Clinical testing protocols are anticipated to be filed with the FDA in 2025, and given the urgent need, the FDA is expediting this process under an emergency treatment program. This represents a market exceeding USD 100 billion. Dr. Magoola is also developing other novel treatment approaches that will be announced soon.
Dr. Magoola’s consistent publication in reputable scientific journals, the granting of his US patents, and the FDA’s active engagement in his research demonstrate the rigorous scientific foundation of his work and his commitment to developing impactful treatments for critical global health challenges.
