Uganda urged to seize biotech boom as global gene therapy market surges
Experts say this presents opportunities for investment, skilled jobs, and local innovation in treating major diseases such as HIV/AIDS and sickle cell.
Ongol (Centre), Mutuluuza (Third Left), Opolot (First Left), Okware (Third Right) Nakazibwe (Second Right) and other guests at Protea Hotel, Kampala. This was during the dissemination of findings of a study titled ‘Assessing knowledge and perceptions on gene therapy use towards the establishment of a national regulatory guidance document in Uganda’. (Photos by John Odyek.)
By John Odyek
Journalists @New Vision
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Uganda has been urged to position itself at the forefront of Africa’s emerging biotechnology sector by developing a regulatory framework to support gene therapy research and commercialisation.
Gene therapy, a new scientific technique that modifies a person’s genetic material to treat or prevent disease, offers hope by replacing faulty genes, disabling harmful ones, or introducing new ones into the body.
Experts say this presents opportunities for investment, skilled jobs, and local innovation in treating major diseases such as HIV/AIDS and sickle cell.
The call comes as the global gene therapy industry is projected to surpass $10b (sh37 trillion) this year, driven by rapid advances in genetic engineering to treat chronic and inherited conditions. Africa, however, remains largely excluded due to high costs, regulatory gaps, and inadequate infrastructure.
“Uganda has the scientific talent. What we need now is the ecosystem regulation, infrastructure, and investment to develop and adapt these therapies locally,” said Dr Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, the executive director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC).
She was speaking at the dissemination of findings from a study titled: Assessing knowledge and perceptions on gene therapy use towards the establishment of a national regulatory guidance document in Uganda, held on September 10, 2025, at Four Points by Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
Disease burden creates market need
With more than 1.4 million Ugandans living with HIV and an estimated 400,000 affected by sickle cell disease, demand for advanced therapies is high. Uganda ranks fourth globally in sickle cell prevalence.
Gene therapy offers long-term or permanent solutions by tackling diseases at the genetic level. In advanced economies, therapies are already curing some forms of sickle cell disease and HIV through gene editing and stem cell techniques.
Mutuluuza (Left), the executive director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) and Nakazibwe (Right), team lead at the Pathogen Economy Office in the Office of the Presidentdiscussing at Protea Hotel. This was during the dissemination of findings of a study titled ‘Assessing knowledge and perceptions on gene therapy use towards the establishment of a national regulatory guidance document in Uganda’. 
“A product to cure sickle cell disease now exists in the U.S. and Europe, but it costs up to $2.5m (sh9.1b) per patient,” Dr Mutuluuza said.
“Even a bone marrow transplant, which is another treatment option, costs around $50,000 (sh183m) and requires a genetic match, which only occurs in about 20% of cases.”
She noted that gene therapy for sickle cell costs around $1.5m (sh5.5b) in the U.S. and Europe, while cancer gene therapy is estimated at $400,000 (sh1.5b), prices that remain out of reach for most Ugandans. Yet, she added, they represent a vast untapped market for local research, development, and partnerships.
“With the right infrastructure and policy, Uganda can lead the continent in affordable, locally adapted gene therapies,” she said.
Brenda Nakazibwe, team lead at the Pathogen Economy Office under the Office of the President, said gene therapy in Uganda needs both financial and regulatory support in line with the country’s science and technology agenda.
A Pathway to investment and innovation
A national regulatory framework would guide ethical and scientific standards while making Uganda investment-ready for private biotech firms and international research collaborations.
“Establishing regulation is the first step toward building a local gene therapy ecosystem, one that includes GMP-certified labs, clinical research sites, skilled biotech professionals, and eventually, local production of therapies,” said Dr Martin Ongol, acting executive secretary of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST).
Such a framework would enhance public trust, attract donor and venture capital funding, and support the commercialisation of homegrown biotech solutions.
Current gaps
Uganda’s scientists are already engaged in international gene therapy initiatives, but major gaps persist:
- Lack of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities.
- Limited local funding for biotech startups and trials.
- Absence of national regulation to guide trials and commercialisation.
Hellen Opolot, assistant executive secretary and head of the directorate of research management and quality assurance at UNCST, and principal investigator of the gene therapy study, noted that while Ugandan scientists can engage in gene therapy research through global collaborations, local expertise, funding, and infrastructure remain inadequate.
"Research institutions lack the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities needed for producing gene-based products, and hospitals are not equipped to handle potential side effects,” Opolot said.
Despite these challenges, she said researchers remain optimistic: “The establishment of a regulatory framework will enhance public trust, boost scientific capacity, and promote ethical innovation while protecting human rights.”
Opportunity for public–private partnerships
As Uganda aligns its science, technology, and innovation agenda with Vision 2040, experts highlight gene therapy as a promising field for public–private partnerships (PPPs) combining research, regulation, and industrial development.
Dr Samuel Okware, executive director of the Uganda National Health Research Organisation (UNHRO), said gene therapy regulation offers an opportunity to build a local biotech industry that creates jobs and exports knowledge.
He stressed the need for responsible innovation, noting that ethical oversight, data privacy, and long-term monitoring must be anchored in legislation and professional development.
Uganda as a regional hub
If Uganda moves quickly, it could establish itself as a regional hub for gene therapy research and treatment in East Africa, serving neighbouring markets, attracting clinical trials, and building biomedical export capacity.
The JCRC, UNCST, and NDA are collaborating on a national guidance document for gene therapy regulation, with input from scientists, legal experts, and international partners.
Universities and medical institutions are being urged to invest in biotech training, biomanufacturing labs, and public awareness campaigns to prepare for the coming wave of genomic medicine.
Gene therapy presents not only a medical breakthrough but also a chance for Uganda to join the next frontier of the global knowledge economy. With regulation, investment, and bold policymaking, what is now a health crisis could become a catalyst for innovation and economic growth.