The Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi tours Dei BioPharma’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Matugga, urging officials to expedite production and make life-saving medicines more accessible to Ugandans
MATUGGA – Opposition Members of Parliament, led by Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, inspected Dei BioPharma, Uganda’s first research-based biotechnology and pharmaceuticals research firm, on Thursday, September 19, 2024.
Mr. Ssenyonyi and approximately 15 other MPs visited the 150-acre Dei BioPharma drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility campus in Matugga. Dei BioPharma Chairman Dr. Patrick Wakida, Founder and Managing Director Dr. Matthias Magoola, and his team, including Board Pharmacist Dr. Arthur Kayanya, conducted the tour.
According to Dr. Magoola, the manufacturing plant project comprises 10 state-of-the-art facilities, each specializing in vaccines, generics, nutraceuticals, oncology/cancer, penicillin, cephalosporins, non-beta-lactam, injectables, WFI, parentals, medical devices, and ophthalmic products.
Notably, the facility features the YKTM GLP Biotech Laboratories, which cover groundbreaking components such as cancer research, QA/QC, drug discovery, gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA therapeutics, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics.
Five of the ten components – the Generics section, warehousing facility, biotech laboratories, injectable facility, and vaccines plant – are ready for production. The facility can manufacture biological drugs, cytokines, therapeutic proteins, peptides, and monoclonal antibodies.
Dei BioPharma was recently recognized as the best pharma company at the African Excellence Awards, organized by MEA Markets in London, UK. This acknowledgment was due to the company’s development of its flagship biological drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility in Matugga, Wakiso District, Uganda.
The facility, expected to create thousands of professional jobs, will introduce advanced technologies such as mRNA, gene therapy, novel vaccines, and recombinant drugs, besides other essential medicines.
Dr. Magoola has led Dei BioPharma to innovative discoveries, including the first US-patented chemical drug using N-Isobutyll-3, 4-methylenedioxy-trans-cinnamide compositions to treat malaria and the first mRNA universal vaccine against malaria.
Upon completion, the Matugga-based drugs and vaccines manufacturing plant, valued at one billion US dollars, will provide essential therapies, including anticancer drugs and novel vaccines targeting African infections.
The project’s components include the Dei BioPharma Manufacturing Plant, which spans 150 acres and will produce vital drugs for the region and beyond, including all types of vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and biological solutions.
Current Progress:
The Bio-tech Facility is Africa’s first biotech facility under US patent, producing cancer drugs, biosimilars, peptides, cell therapy, biologics, cytokines, therapeutic proteins, gene therapy, and vaccines. This facility is complete.
The State-of-the-Art Injectable Facility is also complete.
The Warehousing Facility, capable of storing 60,000 pallets of mRNA and other vaccines, plus other pharmaceutical products, is complete.
The YKTM GLP Biotech Laboratories, featuring cancer research, QA/QC, drug discovery, gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA therapeutics, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics, are complete.
The Generic Section, which will manufacture over 150 products/different drugs and medicines, is complete.
The Nutraceuticals Section will produce tablets, capsules, sachets, ointments, and syrups.
The Penicillin, Cephalosporin, and Non-Beta Lactam Facility’s design has been completed as per FDA, WHO, and EU-EMA guidelines.
The Oncology/Cancer Manufacturing Facility has been designed to meet FDA standards.
The Virus Vaccines Facility will produce various vaccines, including Tetanus Toxoid (TT), Tetanus Diptheria vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, DTP-Hep B-Hib, TIV/QIV (influenza vaccines), PCV 10 (pneumococcus bacteria vaccine), TCV (typhoid conjugate vaccines), COVID-19 Vaccine, and HPV Bivalent (Human Papillomavirus Vaccination). This facility is expected to be completed next year.
