Right now, we can produce reagents for PCR tests ourselves. So far, we had been overwhelmed (by the demand) since we had to compete for the product. Starting this month, we have been able to produce 1.5 million reagents per month.Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma is targeting to produce 3 million reagents for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests that are used to detect the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Nearly 1.5 million reagents will be produced this month, Bio Farma president director Honesti Basyir said at a hearing with Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Monday.
“Right now, we can produce reagents for PCR tests ourselves. So far, we had been overwhelmed (by the demand) since we had to compete for the product. Starting this month, we have been able to produce 1.5 million reagents per month. We are making endeavors to raise the production capacity to 3 million per month,” he said.
The efforts to ramp up production are aimed at helping the government achieve the target of conducting up to 80 thousand RT-PCR tests per day, he explained.
“This means that we need at least 2.4 million to 2.5 million reagents per month. Hence, we are making endeavors to raise the production capacity to 3 million (per month),” he stated.
Related news: Minister urges BPPT, Bio Farma to produce COVID-19 test kits
The state-owned pharmaceutical holding company, through Kimia Farma, is also cooperating with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Research and Technology Ministry for meeting the production target of 100 thousand rapid test kits per month, he informed.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, had asked BPPT and Bio Farma to expedite production of PCR and rapid test kits to meet domestic demand.
Pandjaitan, who is concurrently deputy chief of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, said Bio Farma is producing 1.5 million PCR test kits per month and its output can be raised further to 3.5 million per month.
“But what should receive serious attention is reagent stocks. I have asked Mr. Honesti (Bio Farma president director) to produce the reagents. Domestic production is still limited and now how we will raise the production capacity,” he remarked.
Reagents are used in test kits for extraction and contain a number of chemical compounds for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.
Related news: Minister calls on producers to expedite COVID-19 medicine production
Related news: Red and White Vaccine team invites private firms for production
Translator: Ade irma Junida/Suharto
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
