On January 7, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office accepted an application filed by the Founder and Managing Director of Dei BioPharma, Dr. Matthias Magoola, to secure exclusive rights to the invention of the world’s first universal vaccine against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), an infection that has been a constant hurdle among livestock farmers across the country.
This latest development marks another milestone for Dr. Magoola who was recognized for his contributions to vaccine research by the prestigious International Molecular Biologist Awards in December 2024
This invention, titled “Affordable Universal Fusion Universal Vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease Infections,” will save the government billions of shillings it has been spending on importing vaccines.
Filing a patent gives an inventor the exclusive rights to their invention. This means that once they have patented an invention, no one else can make, use, or sell what they have created without your licensing.
According to Dr. Magoola, there is no such product in the world, meaning that it will be a game changer in the fight against FMD and an opportunity for Uganda to provide a product that can be of great value to many developing country economies because of the low cost of production due to the novel design of the vaccine that requires only a minimal dose, compared to any other vaccine for any disease.
FMD is an acute systemic viral infection affecting food-producing animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and other cloven-hoofed animals. Being highly contagious, FMD is one of the most serious diseases in the livestock industry, resulting in extensive productivity losses and impacting the economies of almost every country.
According to the patent, the FMD virus contains four structural proteins, VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4, that form its capsid and are critical for its structure and infectivity.
“Among these, VP1 is the most extensively studied due to its significant roles in virus attachment to host cells, eliciting protective immunity, and determining serotype specificity. Its immunogenic properties make VP1 a primary target for developing peptide vaccines to provide specific and cross-serotype protection. In addition to the structural proteins, the virus has a group of non-structural proteins, including 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D, which are essential for viral replication and intracellular functions,” it reads in part.
It adds that these non-structural proteins are instrumental in diagnostic assays designed to differentiate infected animals from vaccinated ones, a strategy known as DIVA (Differentiation of Infected and Vaccinated Animals). 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 in part.“
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 peptides, 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,” it adds.
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.
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 program that requires 44 million vaccine doses per year, costing around USD 176 million (approx. UGX. 800bn), according to Agriculture Minister Mr. Frank Tumwebaze. The government has also restricted the movement of livestock and livestock products occasionally to control the disease that affects even neighboring countries.
