Sadikin explained that clinical trials involve three stages, the first of which is designed to determine the vaccine's safety.
"Clinical trial 2 aims to check the safety on humans. Meanwhile, clinical trial 3 will evaluate its effectiveness. Indonesia is chosen for clinical trial 3. It is already underway with more than two thousand doses injected," he remarked on Friday.
Sadikin noted that the clinical trials were carried out by the University of Indonesia and Padjajaran University.
The minister expressed hope that the vaccine can be launched globally before 2029.
He accentuated Indonesia's need to participate in the development of this vaccine, given the high number of tuberculosis-related deaths in the country.
He recalled that when Indonesia did not participate in developing the malaria vaccine, the result was a vaccine unsuitable for Indonesians.
Therefore, participation in TB vaccine development is expected to save Indonesian citizens who are at risk of dying from the disease, as Indonesia has the second-highest number of TB cases after India, he emphasized.
"If we participate in this vaccine development, we can secure priority to produce the vaccine," Sadikin remarked.
Related news: Health Ministry plans TB vaccine availability by 2028
He stated that if this vaccine is completed by 2028, it will be included in the national vaccination program, considering the significant disease burden.
The ministry highlighted that Indonesia had completed the participant recruitment process for the phase 3 clinical trial of the M72 Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, with as many as 2,095 participants from the adolescent and adult age groups enrolled in the global study also conducted in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi.
The ministry's head of the communication and public information bureau, Aji Muhawarman, stated on Thursday (May 8) that the Gates Foundation supports this vaccine development.
He informed that all M72 vaccine clinical trials in Indonesia are being closely monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health, as well as national and global TB vaccine experts.
Related news: Bill Gates, Prabowo discuss TB vaccine trials in Indonesia
Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
