Ministry of research and technology Encourages Covid-19 Vaccine National Production
Detiktoday.com – The House of Representatives Commission IX has held a Joint Working Meeting with the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Research and Innovation Agency, the Ministry of Health, the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency, and PT Bio Farma with discussions on the Development of Implementation of Presidential Instruction No.6 Year 2016 concerning the Acceleration of Pharmaceutical Industry Development and Medical Devices, and Breakthroughs in Supporting Drug and Vaccine Self-Reliance Efforts for Covid-19 including the use of Modern Indonesian Original Medicine (OMAI).
During the meeting, the Minister of Research and Technology / Head of BRIN Bambang PS Brodjonegoro explained the role of the Ministry of Research and Technology / BRIN to encourage mastery of technology and innovation in the field of pharmaceuticals and domestic medical devices. The Minister of Research and Technology / Head of BRIN said that health and medicine is one of the focuses that has been declared in the National Research Priorities in 2020-2025.
“The research themes related to health and medicine include technology for the production of drug preparations (based on natural raw materials) and domestic medicine raw materials for strengthening the national pharmaceutical industry, health equipment and instrumentation for domestic production, and precision / accurate genome-based treatment. and Stem Cells to Overcome Demographic Change Problems, “explained the Minister of Research and Technology / Head of BRIN.
Furthermore, the Minister of Research and Technology / Head of BRIN also conveyed a number of efforts that have been made in developing vaccines which are now in the testing phase.
In this stage, the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has built the foundation for making a vaccine from a protein substance or called recombinant protein. The next stage, the vaccine will be tested or entered the experimental stage on animals that will be carried out at the Level 3 Biosafety Laboratory (BSL-3) of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). The vaccine, named Red and White Vaccine, is targeted to be completed in 2021. In developing this vaccine, the Eijkman Institute continues to collaborate with the national pharmaceutical company, PT Bio Farma.
Meanwhile, in order to support the development of the corona vaccine, BPOM has also strengthened laboratories to support specimen testing. BPOM also takes the role to accelerate distribution licenses and product releases as drugs and vaccines, so that the process of developing drugs and distribution licenses can be done more quickly later.
At the same time, PT Bio Farma President Director, Honesti Basyir explained, his party would play an active role in producing vaccine. According to him, if the initial vaccine seedlings in 2021 will arrive at Bio Farma on time, then it is not impossible that in the third quarter of 2021, Indonesia will be able to mass produce the vaccine. Honesti is optimistic that his party will be able to produce the COVID-19 vaccine up to 250 million doses per year.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Commission IX continues to encourage the government to provide full support in the entire process of research, development and production of Covid-19 vaccines. In addition, the House of Representatives Commission IX also asked the government to intensify research and development efforts for Indonesian Original Modern Drugs and domestic-made medical devices so that Indonesia could reduce imports and be independent in the health sector.
