MATUGGA – Opposition Members of Parliament led by Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi have on Thursday, September 19, 2024, inspected Dei BioPharma, Uganda’s first research-based biotechnology and pharmaceuticals research firm.
Mr. Ssenyonyi and about 15 other MPs arrived at the 150-acre Dei BioPharma drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility campus at Matugga in the morning and were taken around the facility by Dei BioPharma Chairman Dr. Patrick Wakida, Founder and Managing Director Dr. Matthias Magoola, who was assisted by his team, including the Board Pharmacist Dr. Arthur Kayanya.
Ssenyonyi urged Dei BioPharma Drugs and Vaccines Manufacturing Plant to speed up production of essential vaccines, offering Ugandans hope for reduced reliance on imported vaccines. Mr. Ssenyonyi commended the progress made so far and appreciated the facility’s openness to scrutiny.
The Leader of Opposition acknowledged the facility’s significance and challenged Dei BioPharma to prove its value to Ugandans. “We will keep coming and following up to ensure there’s value for the money invested,” he emphasized.
On his part, Mr. Magoola expressed gratitude to MPs for their support and assured them of the company’s commitment to delivering quality products.
According to Dr. Magoola, the manufacturing plant project consists of 10 different 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.
Additionally, it boasts the vital YKTM GLP Biotech Laboratories, which covers the groundbreaking components of cancer research, QA/QC, drug discovery, gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA therapeutics, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics.
Five of the ten components, including the Generics section, the warehousing facility, the biotech laboratories, the injectable facility, and the vaccines plant, are ready for production.
LoP Joel Ssenyonyi
Crucially, the facility has the ability to manufacture biological drugs, cytokines, therapeutic protein, peptides, and monoclonal antibodies.
Dei BioPharma was recently listed as the winner of the best pharma company at this year’s African Excellence Awards, organized by MEA Markets, based in London, UK.
Dei BioPharma Ltd, Uganda-funded research-based drugs and vaccines manufacturing firm, was recognized for the current development of the flagship biological drugs and vaccines manufacturing facility in Matugga, Wakiso District, in Uganda, which is creating thousands of professional jobs; it is the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing and also the first biotechnology products company that will introduce most advanced technologies such as mRNA, gene therapy, novel vaccines, and recombinant drugs, besides other essential medicines in Uganda that is compliant with stringent regulatory country Good Manufacturing Practices.
Dr. Magoola has also led Dei BioPharma to innovative discoveries in advanced therapies, including the first US-patented chemical drug using N-Isobutyll-3, 4-metheylenedioxy-trans-cinnamide compositions to treat malaria, the first mRNA universal vaccine against malaria, among other mRNA vaccines against neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, HIV/HPV (“mNRA-Based Vaccine Composition for Inducing Immune Response Against HIV and HPV” patented under certificate number 63921929 in the USA and ten more for untreatable diseases — all inventions patented in the USA.
Upon fully completion, the Matugga-based drugs and vaccines manufacturing plant, at an estimated cost of one billion US dollars, will go a long way in introducing the direly needed therapies that are unaffordable to most Africans, such as anticancer drugs, as well as novel vaccines specifically targeting the infections in Africa; such supply of essential treatments could only be made possible by Dei Biopharma as it focuses on the needs of the Africans.
Above all, these contributions of Uganda will create role models for other African scientists to lead research and development instead of being at the receiving end of obsolete technology that had always been limited to the end part of product manufacturing, and even that had been very limited throughout the history of Africa.
About the components of the project:
DEI BIOPHARMA MANUFACTURING PLANT
Under the facility that stands on 150 acres of land, Dei Biopharma Ltd will make the vital drugs for the region and beyond; including all types of vaccines on top of the mRNA vaccines, and other biological solutions listed as essential drugs including the Filgrastim, Erythropoietin, and Trastuzumab among several others.
Current Progress:
1. The Bio-tech Facility: The first biotech facility in Africa under US patent. These facilities will produce the latest cancer drugs, biosimilars, peptides, cell therapy, biologics, cytokines, therapeutic proteins, Gene therapy and vaccines including mNRA and others — subunit, recombiant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines. The facility is fully compliant with FDA, EU-EMA and WHO standards.
This is ready.
2. State of the Art Injectable Facility (complete).
3. The biggest Warehousing Facility in the region, complete with state-of the art cold chain technology capable of storing 60,000 pallets of mRNA and other vaccines, plus other pharmaceutical products (complete).
4. The YKTM (Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni) GLP Biotech Laboratories that include the following components ;- Cancer research, QA/QC, drug discovery, gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA therapeutics, vaccines, biosimilars and biologics. This facility is complete.
5. The Generic Section: This will manufacture more than 150 products/different drugs and medicines. This facility is complete.
6. State-of-the-art Nutraceuticals Section: This facility will produce tablet, capsules, sachets, ointment and syrup.
7. The Penicillin, Cephalosporin & Non-Beta Lactam Facility: The design of these facilities has been completed as per the most stringent FDA, WHO and EU-EMA guidelines by consultants from the US and Europe, and their construction will be completed next year.
8. The Oncology/Cancer Manufacturing Facility has been designed to meet the most stringent FDA standards under EOL5 guidelines and technology.
9. The Virus Vaccines Facility: To be completed in the next year; will produce the following vaccines;-
(i) Tetanus Toxoid (TT) is a toxoid vaccine used to prevent tetanus.
(ii) Tetanus Diptheria vaccine, can prevent tetanus and diphtheria.
(iii) (Hep B) The Hepatitis B vaccine is also known as the first “anti-cancer” vaccine because it prevents hepatitis B, the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide.
(iv) (DTP-Hep B-Hib) Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) or DTP, polio, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) are 6 infectious diseases that are particularly dangerous to babies. Combined immunisations enable maximum protection to begin as soon as possible after birth.
(v) (TIV / QIV) The most commonly used influenza vaccines are injected inactivated influenza vaccines. These come in a trivalent (3 strains; TIV) and quadrivalent (4 strains; QIV) design.
(vi) (PCV 10) The PCV-10 vaccine protects against infection by the pneumococcus bacteria, one of the most common causes of pneumonia in children.
(vii) (TCV) Typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) are of particular interest to the global health community because they have the potential to overcome many of the challenges that impeded uptake of earlier vaccines.
(viii) COVID-19 Vaccine.
(ix) (HPV Bivalent) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination: Three HPV vaccines—9-valent HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9, 9vHPV), quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil, 4vHPV), and bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix, 2vHPV)—have been licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All three HPV vaccines protect against HPV types 16 and 18 that cause most HPV cancers.
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