KAMPALA – President Yoweri Museveni has indicated that the Ugandan economy will rip big from the knowledge economy, including biotechnology breakthroughs led by Dr. Matthias Magoola, the Founder of pharmaceutical firm Dei BioPharma Ltd.
While launching the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto for the 2026-2031 term, the President said Dr. Magoola’s inventions of cancer, malaria, and diabetes therapies were part of the developments that would give the Ugandan economy a very big leap during the next term.
He also mentioned Kiira Motors Ltd as one of the other big projects spearheaded by the knowledge economy.
“So when we tell you that Uganda’s economy is going to be USD 500 billion instead of the current USD 66 billion, its because of what I’ve told you; the value addition, the diversification and now the knowledge economy — the economy based on science,” he said.
President Museveni urged citizens and investors to buy into the locally developed companies, such that wealth creation becomes the centrepiece for economic transformation.
“Once the government has funded the research, it is your duty to come in. Instead of buying whisky, buy shares in these factories, so that we keep our innovations at home, create jobs, and build wealth,” he said.
He praised the Ugandan scientists for leading the way.
“Theres one good boy called Magoola … our people have discovered medicines for cancer, diabetes and malaria. We are going to save the world from so many problems,” the President said.
Dr. Magoola, has led Ugandan firm Dei BioPharma Ltd to file over 100 patents in the USA for several therapies, including cancer, malaria, diabetes, HIV-Aids and Foot and Mouth Disease.
For his latest cancer innovations, all of which are protected with a US filed patents, Dr. Magoola uses an innovative approach – the synthesis-based therapeutic proteins to bypass the expensive and complex recombinant processes that usually drive up costs for cancer therapies.
Dr. Magoola recently highlighted two unique, patented solutions for cancer treatment, both of which have been published by the U.S. Patent Office:
A combined mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 technology that targets and eliminates cancerous cells with precision and an early detection system designed to alert the immune system to tumours at an early, painless stage.
Additionally, Dei Biopharma has filed a patent for a Universal mRNA Cancer Vaccine platform that uses an “off-the-shelf” approach. Unlike personalized vaccines that can take months to manufacture. This universal vaccine is designed to trigger a broad immune response immediately.
The innovation spearheaded by Dr. Magoola and his partners at Dei BioPharma could make treatment readily available and reduce costs by as much as 100-fold.
Dei BioPharma Ltd is also seeking a patent for a CAR-T cell immunotherapy that he says will cost less than $100 per patient, a dramatic reduction from the current cost of over $500,000.
According to officials, Dei Biopharma is also focusing on localizing gene and cell therapy.
The company is in discussions with the Uganda Cancer Institute to transfer its gene and cell therapy unit to Mulago, allowing it to produce advanced treatments like CAR-T cell therapy locally.
Speaking to this publication, Dr. Magoola emphasized that these innovations represent high-value assets for Uganda and have the power to transform the nation’s economic fortunes.
“By manufacturing these drugs in Uganda, the government can collect significant tax revenue, which can be reinvested into the economy to boost the country’s GDP,” he said.
Dr. Magoola noted that the annual revenue of a single drug like pembrolizumab, which is $30 billion, is more than the total revenue of all East African countries combined.
In June 2025, Magoola was named a national “Faces of Science” in Uganda for his contributions to biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.
Apart from his previous exploits, the FDA on August 7, formally accepted the development plans for Dr. Magoola’s two other products, liraglutide and semaglutide.
Dei Biopharma projects sales for these drugs to exceed $1 billion within 90 days of their approval.
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