WNAM REPORT: Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin inaugurated the vaccine production facility of PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia to spur independence in the manufacturing of domestic biopharmaceutical products.
“Vaccine is important, and in the future, there will be many new pathogens, along with Biotis’ ability to understand pathogens in animals, for better vaccines’ production,” he remarked in Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.
According to Sadikin, PT Biotis’ steps prove the national pharmaceutical industry’s ability to develop vaccine independence, as well as support the government’s vision of realizing a healthier and more independent Indonesia.
“I hope we do not only develop vaccines for infectious diseases but also vaccines for the immune system. It will also be a game changer if Biotis can also bring development to fight cancer pathogens,” Sadikin remarked.
Meanwhile, President Director of PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia FX Sudirman stated that the vaccine production facility inaugurated is a real manifestation of supporting national health transformation.
His side is collaborating with Airlangga University (Unair) Surabaya, East Java, to conduct research and produce vaccines required by the community.
“Unair submitted research to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, and it has been approved. Therefore, funding related to our vaccine research is carried out together with Unair and the ministry,” he explained.If the vaccine passes the clinical test, the funding will be carried out in collaboration with the Health Ministry, he added.
He further explained that the Merah Putih or INAVAC vaccine, which is the result of Biotis’ collaboration with Unair, has succeeded in encouraging domestic vaccine production.
PT Biotis has so far established strategic cooperation for domestic vaccine production, including for the pentavalent vaccine in collaboration with India to prevent diseases such as diphtheria.
Moreover, collaboration has been forged with Minhai Beijing Biotechnology, China, for the PCV-13 vaccine to prevent pneumonia in children, as well as the hepatitis B vaccine in collaboration with ILL-India.
For domestic collaboration with Unair, PT Biotis developed a multi-strain rotavirus vaccine to prevent acute diarrhea in children caused by rotavirus infection.
The company is also exploring the transfer of mRNA technology, which can replicate viruses to trigger the body’s immune system to fight them, with several leading research centers in the world.This technology is seen as the future of vaccines and infectious disease therapy.
