Appreciation For Bio Farma For Developing A COVID-19 Vaccine, The Minister Of SOEs Asks To Register Indovac To The Directorate General Of IPR

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir wants the vaccine made by Bio Farma, named Indovac, to have Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI). Therefore, Erick also requested that Bio Farma immediately register Indovac with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI) of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

As is known, some time ago President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had mentioned Indonesia Vaccine or Indovac as the name for a vaccine made by state-owned PT Bio Farma.

"Requesting PT Bio Farma to immediately register the name of the Indovac vaccine with the Director General of Intellectual Property Rights of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights", he said in an official statement, quoted Friday, September 2.

Erick also appreciated the success of the state-owned pharmaceutical company, PT Bio Farma (Persero) in developing a COVID-19 vaccine. This success, said Erick, could not be separated from the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Furthermore, Erick said, Indonesia's success in producing its own vaccine is a form of future preparedness.

"We have proven resources and technological platforms that we are ready to face situations when a pandemic occurs in the future. It is time for us to use our own home-made vaccines, especially since the costs for imported vaccines are already very high", he said.

As a state-owned company engaged in the pharmaceutical sector, continued Erick, Bio Farma is collaborating with Baylor College of Medicine. Erick is optimistic that he will show proud work that will support the health and awakening of all Indonesian people from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bio Farma has developed a BUMN COVID-19 vaccine from upstream to downstream in Indonesia, starting from technological adaptations such as the recombinant protein-based subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD), clinical trials to the process. production and packaging.

Meanwhile, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in the United States provides seeds for vaccine development.

"This is what distinguishes the SOE COVID-19 vaccine produced by Bio Farma from other COVID-19 vaccines because it is developed and produced from upstream to downstream by the nation's children with a domestic component level (TKDN) of almost 80 percent", he said.

At the end of August, the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny K. Lukito said the distribution permit for the emergency use authorization (EUA) of BUMN COVID-19 vaccines would be issued in mid-September 2022.

For information, Bio Farma has registered the results of phase 3 clinical trial of the BUMN COVID-19 vaccine for ages 18 years and over to BPOM as a condition for obtaining EUA.

Clinical Trials for Childhood Vaccination

Erick also explained that the vaccine produced by Bio Farma is also ready to undergo clinical trials for booster vaccination. After the BUMN COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial process for boosters, Bio Farma will register a clinical trial for child vaccination.

"The BUMN COVID-19 vaccine is useful for primary and booster vaccinations for both adults and children. The BUMN COVID-19 vaccine, which has a recombinant protein platform, can be used actively against COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV virus", he said.

So far, the results of clinical trials have shown that the vaccine that will be produced by Bio Farma has good safety and efficacy in increasing antibody levels so that it is not inferior to other types of COVID-19 vaccines.

In addition, since the initial process, this vaccine has been designed to be halal and audited by the competent authority so it is hoped that it will get halal certification soon after the release of the EUA.

"From the beginning, I have emphasized that halal must be the main factor, so this BUMN COVID-19 vaccine has been designed to become a halal vaccine", he said.

Erick said Bio Farma will also register its vaccine development with the WHO to obtain a EUL (emergency use listing) so that it can contribute to world health.