We want 50 percent of the raw materials from upstream to downstream to come from the domestic market to avoid import from foreign countries during the pandemicCikarang, West Java (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin targets that 50 percent of the raw materials for medicines from the upstream to downstream sectors should be available in Indonesia to reduce import dependence on pharmaceutical products.
"We want 50 percent of the raw materials from upstream to downstream to come from the domestic market to avoid import from foreign countries during the pandemic," Sadikin noted in Cikarang, West Java, Thursday.
Based on lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Sadikin highlighted the difficulties faced by Indonesia to obtain vaccines from several producing countries, such as India.
The Delta wave in July 2021 prompted health authorities in India to stop supplying vaccines to various countries, including Indonesia, due to the high domestic demand in the country.
"During that time, we were lacking vaccine stocks, as the vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India blocked vaccine export for meeting domestic needs," he explained.
The minister believes that the concept of a health security system is a policy that cannot be overlooked since it involves human lives.
"We cannot tolerate it, and we are willing to invest because it is very important for human life," Sadikin emphasized.
The minister noted that Indonesia had promising natural resources for the development of medicinal raw materials, though so far, more than 90 percent of the demand was still imported from abroad.
One of the natural resources that can be used as raw materials for drugs is Petro Pharmaceutical products that can be developed for the manufacturing of Paracetamol medicine.
"It has become our homework to build the domestic petrochemical industry in an effort to meet the needs of the chemical-based pharmaceutical industry that can be built," Sadikin affirmed.
In addition, he is keen that the domestic pharmaceutical industry develops plasma-based drugs, such as albumin, factor eight, immunoglobulin, and gamaras.
"With our population of 270 million, we must become the fourth-largest producer of blood plasma in the world," he emphasized.
Moreover, Sadikin encourages the development of biosimilar-based drugs, which are imitations of biological drugs, whose patents have expired. It has a similar position to that of generic drugs that are imitations of chemical drugs whose patents have expired, such as biological insulin, albumin, and interferon drugs.
"The ministry will aggressively build the biotechnology drug industry, which is the sixth change in health transformation in Indonesia," he added.
To achieve this target, the Ministry of Health facilitated the Change Source for the Use of Domestic Raw Materials and inauguration of the Drug Raw Material Factory at PT Kimia Farma Sungwun Pharmachopia Delta Silicone 1 in Lippo Cikarang, South Cikarang, Tuesday.
"The Change Source program will simplify bureaucratic affairs between the Ministry of Health and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM). We hope that in future, the consumption of medicinal raw materials can become easier for pharmaceutical companies," he concluded.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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