"R&D has an important role in the development of the domestic health ecosystem. As you have seen earlier, we also cooperate the seeds of vaccines with other countries, with all production from us, the domestic component level (TKDN) is up to 90 percent. I hope that future R&D would be in Indonesia," he informed during the launch of the domestically made COVID-19 vaccine, Indovac, in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday.
The minister has assigned state-owned pharmaceutical company Kimia Farma to produce affordable medicines for the community just like Indo Farma is doing in herbal development.
He said he is optimistic that focus mapping within the pharmaceutical holding will help reduce Indonesia's dependence on imports of raw materials, which currently stand at 90 percent.
"Until now, our distribution companies are also separated; this must be consolidated to make it more efficient and reach a wider network," he added.
Thohir is also expanding Kimia Farma's retail stores, whose number is currently at just 1,300. Based on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimia Farma retailers have proven capable of intervening in mask pricing during an imbalance in the market.
"We will also improve health services through telemedicine. We will synergize clinics and hospitals and improve their quality, similar to when we intervened in the needs of an international hospital, which will be inaugurated in 2024; we will have a world-class cancer hospital," he said.
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The IndoVac vaccine is the result of a collaboration between an SOEs pharmaceutical holding and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), he highlighted.
The pharmaceutical holding also signed a partnership with British pharmaceutical company ProFactor Pharma at the Indonesian Embassy in London some time ago, he added.
Under the collaboration, Bio Farma will get exclusive rights for the joint development of Recombinant Factor VIII (ProFactor and Bio Farma) blood products globally.
"We are working together on R&D, but, of course, the license and brand are ours. Yesterday, we also signed (a pact on) the hemophilia vaccine, which is blood viscosity (control agent),” Thohir disclosed.
He further stated that Indonesia has become a hub for global vaccines. Under their agreement, ProFactor Pharma will distribute vaccines to Europe and America, and Indonesia to Asia, Africa, and others. The cooperation is an example that the government will continue to push forward.
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Translator: Ajat Sudrajat, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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