Makerere University Walter Reed Project

Biomedical Research Servicesmuwrp.org

MUWRP, founded in 2002 in Kampala, Uganda, is a non-profit biomedical research partnership between Makerere University and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. It conducts vaccine clinical trials, operates CAP-accredited laboratories, and delivers PEPFAR-funded HIV programs across Uganda and Somalia.

Company typePrivate
Founded2002
HeadquartersKampala, Uganda
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Makerere University Walter Reed Project does

MUWRP (Makerere University Walter Reed Program) is a non-profit biomedical research organization established in 2002 in Kampala, Uganda, structured as a partnership between Makerere University and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) under the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Its core programs include clinical research (Phase I/II vaccine trials for HIV, Ebola, Marburg, Schistosomiasis, and COVID-19), PEPFAR-supported HIV prevention, care, and treatment across six Ugandan districts, CAP-accredited clinical and research laboratory services, the Emerging Infectious Diseases Surveillance Program (EIDP) covering Uganda and Somalia, and the ACESO/JMEDICC program for severe infectious illnesses and sepsis at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.

Its technology base centers on a CAP-accredited clinical laboratory with molecular diagnostics (GeneXpert, Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR, Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing), high-parameter immunology platforms (two BD FACSCanto II, a 40-parameter Cytek Aurora, MSD multiplex immunoassays), a biosafety-equipped EIDP lab at Makerere University's College of Veterinary Medicine, and a biorepository managing 934,741+ aliquots across 145,000+ samples at -20°C, -80°C, and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. Supporting infrastructure includes an Enhanced BSL-2 facility for high-consequence pathogen work and quality systems aligned with GCLP, CLIA, and ISO 15189.

MUWRP generates no commercial revenue from end users; services are free or subsidized under government-funded public health programs. Operating revenue derives from competitive grants and cooperative agreements primarily with PEPFAR (via DoD/WRAIR), NIH (multiple institutes including Fogarty International Center and DAIDS), and DoD/WRAIR directly. Customers/beneficiaries span people living with HIV and at-risk populations, clinical trial participants, district-level health facilities, schools through the School Health Program, and military populations in Uganda and Somalia. Additional partners include Janssen, Bavarian Nordic, Sabin Vaccine Institute, HOPE Collaboratory, UPDF, Uganda Ministry of Health, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for external QC.

Makerere University Walter Reed Project firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Makerere University Walter Reed Project
Legal name: Makerere University Walter Reed Program
Website: https://muwrp.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2002
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: MUWRP, founded in 2002 in Kampala, Uganda, is a non-profit biomedical research partnership between Makerere University and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. It conducts vaccine clinical trials, operates CAP-accredited laboratories, and delivers PEPFAR-funded HIV programs across Uganda and Somalia.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Makerere University Walter Reed Project industry classification

Industry

Product category: Biomedical Research Services
NAICS: Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)
SIC: Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Health Services (8000)
akta.pro primary industry: Disease-Specific Reference Laboratory Networks (e.g., TB, HIV, Influenza) (HLAJAIAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: HIV/AIDS Medicine (HLAKAGAB), Immunization & Vaccine Delivery Programs (BPADAIAB), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAF), Outbreak Investigation & Incident Management (EOC/ICS) (HLAJABAE)

Keywords

Biomedical research services
Vaccine clinical trials
HIV prevention programs
Infectious disease surveillance
Clinical laboratory diagnostics

Where Makerere University Walter Reed Project is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Kampala
HQ country: Uganda
HQ region: Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

Makerere University Walter Reed Project business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

PEPFAR Funding: Primary funding from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supporting comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment services in Uganda, including antiretroviral therapy for 97,832 clients, PrEP initiation, HIV testing services, and health systems strengthening across six districts.
NIH Research Grants: National Institutes of Health-funded research grants supporting clinical trials for HIV vaccines, Ebola/Marburg vaccines, HIV cure research (HOPE Collaboratory), cervical cancer prevention, and other infectious disease research programs.
DoD/WRAIR Cooperative Agreements: Funding from the U.S. Department of Defense Walter Reed Army Institute of Research supporting vaccine clinical trials, emerging infectious disease surveillance (EIDP), and military health research collaborations.
Laboratory Services Revenue: CAP-accredited laboratory provides diagnostic testing services for research participants and partner programs, generating revenue to support operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project product offering

Product offering

Core offering

MUWRP is a non-profit biomedical research organization that designs and executes Phase I/II clinical trials for vaccines (HIV, Ebola, Marburg, Schistosomiasis), delivers PEPFAR-supported HIV prevention, care and treatment services across six Ugandan districts, and operates CAP-accredited laboratory and surveillance programs for HIV, emerging infectious diseases, and severe infectious illnesses/sepsis in Uganda and Somalia.

Product overview

MUWRP is a non-profit biomedical research organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and laboratory services. The core offerings include: Clinical Research (vaccine trials for HIV, Ebola, Marburg, Schistosomiasis), HIV Prevention Care and Treatment (PEPFAR-supported across six districts), CAP-accredited Clinical and Research Laboratory Services (Safety Lab, Biorepository, Immunology, Molecular Biology), Emerging Infectious Diseases Surveillance (EIDP), and Management of Severe Infectious Illnesses (ACESO). Supporting programs include Stakeholder Engagement through Community Advisory Boards, the DREAMS program for adolescent girls, and health systems strengthening through digital health solutions like ClinicMaster EMR. These programs operate synergistically, with laboratory services supporting clinical trials and surveillance data informing public health interventions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Clinical Research Program Phase I/II clinical trials for HIV vaccines, Ebola/Marburg vaccines, Schistosomiasis vaccines, and longitudinal cohort studies (RV217, RV583, AFRICOS), plus acute HIV treatment trials and HIV cure research conducted for global vaccine developers and U.S. government sponsors.
HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment Program Comprehensive PEPFAR-supported HIV services including HIV testing, PrEP, PMTCT, antiretroviral therapy, VMMC, and cervical cancer screening delivered across six Ugandan districts through 184 supported health facilities.
Clinical and Research Laboratory Services CAP-accredited laboratory providing clinical diagnostics, safety testing, immunology testing, molecular diagnostics, and biorepository services in support of clinical research participants and partner programs.
Emerging Infectious Diseases Surveillance (EIDP) Proactive surveillance program providing early detection and continuous monitoring of influenza, respiratory pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic viruses, and acute febrile illness in Uganda and Somalia.
Management of Severe Infectious Illnesses and Sepsis (ACESO/JMEDICC) Evidence-based initiative focused on epidemiological research, detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for patients with severe infectious illnesses and sepsis, including BSL-2 laboratory capabilities at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.
DREAMS Program HIV prevention initiative for adolescent girls and young women providing safe spaces, peer mentoring, behavioral interventions, and vocational training to reduce new HIV infections.

Quantifiable outcome

97,832 clients supported on antiretroviral treatment
+10 more outcomes

Companies that use Makerere University Walter Reed Project

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

Sabin Vaccine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Partnership to conduct Phase 2 clinical trial for Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine. Sabin leads vaccine development while MUWRP provides clinical trial execution capabilities in Uganda.
Johnson & Johnson / Janssen Pharmaceutical CompaniesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2017Collaboration on Ebola vaccine Phase 2 clinical trial (RV456) providing Ad26.ZEBOV vaccine candidate. Janssen supplies vaccine products while MUWRP conducts clinical evaluation in African populations including HIV-infected volunteers.
U.S. Department of Defense Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (DoD/WRAIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for HIV research, vaccine development, and emerging infectious disease surveillance. WRAIR provides technical guidance, funding through Joint Vaccines Acquisition Program, and strategic leadership including Country Director posting.
Bavarian NordicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of MVA-BN-Filo vaccine candidate for prime-boost Ebola vaccine regimen in Phase 2 clinical trials conducted at MUWRP sites.
Makerere UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding academic partner in the MUWRP collaboration. Provides institutional framework, academic affiliations, student mentorship, and research infrastructure including College of Veterinary Medicine, Biosecurity and Biosafety (CoVAB) laboratory space.
Uganda Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational health authority partnership ensuring all HIV programs align with Ministry of Health guidelines and national frameworks. Supports regulatory approvals for clinical trials and health systems strengthening initiatives.
St. Jude Children's Research HospitalmajorTechnology or IntegrationExternal quality control partner for EIDP laboratories, serving as WHO reference lab for influenza. Provides proficiency testing and quality assurance for surveillance operations.
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)majorTechnology or IntegrationExternal quality control partner for EIDP laboratories providing reference testing and quality assurance for emerging infectious disease surveillance.
HOPE CollaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH-funded HIV cure research collaboration using Block-Lock-Excise approach for long-term silencing of latent viral expression. Dr. Hannah Kibuuka contributes expertise for 3 years on achieving virus control without therapy.
African AIDS Vaccine Virtual Network (AAVVi.net)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMUWRP participates in network providing platform to strengthen African engagement in HIV vaccine research, bringing together scientists, advocates, community leaders, and global partners.
Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary health partnership supporting HIV/AIDS programming and epidemiological research in military populations, including surveillance of acute febrile illness in Somalia.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University (CoVAB)majorTechnology or IntegrationCo-located laboratory facility for EIDP operations including compartmentalized rooms for cell culture, virus isolation, and molecular diagnostics supporting zoonotic disease surveillance.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI): Global non-profit developing HIV vaccines and other emerging infectious disease countermeasures, sponsoring vaccine trials in East Africa. Directly comparable as a clinical-trial-sponsoring non-profit partner that MUWRP could collaborate with or compete against for African trial sites.
MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit: Ugandan HIV/infectious disease research unit operating as a partnership between Uganda Virus Research Institute, MRC, and LSHTM. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and funding sources (NIH/PEPFAR), and competes head-to-head with MUWRP for HIV vaccine trial site selection in Uganda.
Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI): South African HIV/TB research institute with large population cohorts, biorepository, and PEPFAR/Wellcome Trust funding. Highly comparable in biorepository scale, longitudinal cohort design, and lab-based infectious disease research capabilities.
Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ): PEPFAR/NIH-funded non-profit implementing HIV care and treatment programs and conducting clinical research in Zambia. Directly comparable in business model (non-profit, grant-funded HIV implementer with lab services) and target populations.

Broad incumbents

US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP): US DoD program under WRAIR that co-founded MUWRP and continues to fund/co-lead its HIV vaccine and AFRICOS cohort studies. Highly comparable as a research-program funder and operator of African HIV research networks, and the structural parent counterpart of MUWRP's portfolio.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR): US DoD biomedical research institute and MUWRP's primary strategic partner for vaccine trials, EIDP, and military health research. Comparable as a major funder/incumbent for African infectious-disease research and the parent partner organization for MUWRP.
Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI): Kenya's national medical research institute with broad infectious disease, vaccine-trial, and surveillance capabilities funded by NIH and PEPFAR. Comparable as a regional African research hub with similar CAP/ISO lab ambitions and competing for the same multinational vaccine trial placements.

Emerging players

African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET): Pan-African network supporting Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs (FELTPs) and disease surveillance across 30+ African countries. Adjacent peer in EIDP/surveillance work and likely collaborator or competitor for outbreak response contracts in the same geographies.

Regional players

Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP): Harvard-affiliated HIV research partnership in Botswana with cohort studies, lab capacity, and PEPFAR-funded programs. Comparable in HIV cure research, cohort-based studies, and African HIV vaccine-trial execution, but in a Southern African geography.
Rwanda Biomedical Centre: National biomedical research and public-health implementation body in Rwanda. Comparable in HIV-care delivery scale, lab infrastructure, and vaccine-trial execution, but anchored in a different East-African geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Makerere University Walter Reed Project compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance4 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Makerere University Walter Reed Project leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Makerere University Walter Reed Project funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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Makerere University Walter Reed Project M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Makerere University Walter Reed Project

What does Makerere University Walter Reed Project do?

Is Makerere University Walter Reed Project a public or private company?

Makerere University Walter Reed Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Makerere University Walter Reed Project founded?

Makerere University Walter Reed Project was founded in 2002. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Makerere University Walter Reed Project based?

Makerere University Walter Reed Project is headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, in the Africa region.

How does Makerere University Walter Reed Project make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. PEPFAR Funding is the primary driver. The others are NIH Research Grants, doD/WRAIR Cooperative Agreements and laboratory Services Revenue.

Who are Makerere University Walter Reed Project's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) and Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ). Broad incumbents are US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP) and Rwanda Biomedical Centre.

Does Makerere University Walter Reed Project have an API?

No public API is recorded for Makerere University Walter Reed Project.

What industry is Makerere University Walter Reed Project in?

Makerere University Walter Reed Project's product category is Biomedical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAIAD, Disease-Specific Reference Laboratory Networks (e.g., TB, HIV, Influenza), with a secondary code of HLAKAGAB, HIV/AIDS Medicine. Its NAICS code is 6215 and its SIC code is 8071.