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Dei BioPharma founder and managing director, Dr Mathias Magoola, has secured a patent on his invention of the world’s first universal foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in the USA.

Dr. Mathias Magoola, founder and managing director of Dei BioPharma, has been granted a patent in the USA for his invention of the world’s first universal foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office accepted Magoola’s application on January 7, 2025, giving him exclusive rights to his invention to ensure other people don’t profit from his product without his permission.

Magoola said the invention will save the Government of Uganda billions of shillings it has been spending on vaccine importation.

“Filing a patent gives an inventor the exclusive rights to their invention. This means that once you have patented an invention, no one else can make, use, or sell what you have created without your licensing,” he told New Vision yesterday.

In the accompanying documents, Magoola stated that the vaccine combines the epitopes of all known epitopes of the viruses responsible for the disease, allowing inducement of cross-protection against all known serotypes and strains of viruses responsible for FMD to create a complete universal antigen.

Dei BioPharm Ltd is Uganda’s first research-based biotechnology and pharmaceuticals firm in Matugga, Wakiso district.

First universal vaccine FMD

Before Magoola’s patent, there was no universal vaccine against the disease. What has been available on the market are vaccines that only protect against specific serotypes and strains.

According to Dr Magoola, he has the first universal vaccine. He said there is no such product in the world, meaning that it will be a game changer in the fight against FMD.

About FMD

FMD is an acute systemic viral infection affecting animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and other cloven-hoofed animals.

Being highly contagious, FMD is one of the most serious diseases in Uganda’s livestock industry.

According to Magoola, vaccinated animals typically produce antibodies against structural proteins, while infected animals generate antibodies against structural and non-structural proteins. This distinction is crucial for controlling and eradicating FMD through targeted vaccination.

“In one embodiment, the present invention provides a detailed procedure for formulating a universal vaccine capable of protecting against various serotypes and/or strains of FMD viruses,” the patent reads.

It also reads: “In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a vaccine formulation capable of inducing cross-protection against different serotypes or strains of FMD viruses by (a) polynucleotides encoding peptide, polypeptides or proteins of the virus; (b) recombinant peptides, polypeptides or proteins of the virus; (c) peptides, polypeptides or proteins fused with serum proteins and (d) adjuvants to enhance the potency of the FMD vaccine.”

The patent further explains that the pharmaceutical combination comprising one or more vaccine formulations of the present invention has the advantage of generating immunogenic cross-protection with fewer vaccination campaigns.

“Extending the half-life of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) antigens by conjugating them with serum proteins in cattle is a promising approach to improve vaccine efficacy and reduce dosing frequency,” it reads.

Sh800b required annually

Between 2015 and 2019, Uganda reported 140 FMD outbreaks, with 111 of them occurring during the dry season.

To control FMD, Uganda has a bi-annual vaccination programme that requires 44 million vaccine doses per year, costing around $176m (about sh800b), according to Agriculture Minister, Frank Tumwebaze.

The Government has also restricted the movement of livestock and livestock products occasionally to control the disease.

The minister told Parliament on February 1, 2024, that Uganda was also working with Tanzania in the fight against FMD.

“The collaboration focuses on areas of synchronisation of vaccination calendars and coordination between our veterinary authorities in the clearance of animal movement and disease surveillance across the border,” Tumwebaze said.

“Magoola is one of the scientists who have been doing a lot of original research and as the Government, we are very excited about this (development). He has put our country at a very high level of science and given our science credibility because when you have such an award, which is a very high-level award, and you are trying to produce things, then the world will believe in you,” she said.

The minister added: “We are now becoming a vaccine-manufacturing country and this is something we have been working on for quite a while. So, we are very proud and we hope in the next few months or years we shall be able to put this vaccine on the market because it is a priority for our country.”

She noted that FMD has been disturbing the Ugandan government.

“The challenge with the FMD is that the virus changes a lot and there are many different strains from every part of the country and each affected country across Africa. So, when you make a vaccine, that vaccine works only against particular strains,” she stated.

Minister Musenero also explained that Magoola’s vaccine is novel.

“It is novel in that it combines all the known components from all the known viruses. So, when you use this vaccine, it will protect the animals universally and you will not have to be looking for different strains,” she said.