Kalbe Farma, Owned By The Conglomerate Boenjamin Setiawan, Develops A COVID-19 Vaccine, What is the Pegged Price?

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - PT Kalbe Farma Tbk stated that the GX-19N vaccine for COVID-19 that will be produced by his party will not be given free of charge. This means that to obtain the vaccine, the cooperation between Kalbe and South Korea, the public must spend.

Director, Kalbe Farma, Sie Djohan said that the management of the company owned by the conglomerate Boenjamin Setiawan has not been able to determine the price of the GX-19N vaccine. Because currently the process of clinical trials IIB and III will still be carried out.

"For the price itself, at this time we cannot give a definite price because it is still in the development process", he said in a virtual press conference, Friday, July 9.

Djohan emphasized that his party will try to set the price of the GX-19N vaccine below the average price of the COVID-19 vaccine that is currently being used. This means that the price will not exceed the existing vaccines.

According to Djohan, for this price, the process will be coordinated with the biotechnology company Genexine, South Korea. This is because the GX-19N vaccine is a collaboration between Kalbe and Genexine.

Furthermore, Djohan said Kalbe had obtained a clinical trial permit from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). The implementation of clinical trials from stages IIB and III will begin in July 2021 and is expected to carry out an interim analysis for the safety and efficacy or ability of the vaccine to trigger immunity against COVID-19 infection by the end of 2021.

"We will try our best to cooperate with Genexine. We want to make sure the price we offer later is certainly not more expensive than the vaccines that are currently being used", he said.

The Ministry of Health noted that the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine GX-19N has excellent potential to protect against various variants of COVID-19. In fact, the possibility of protection in the longer term.

"Security for the GX-19N vaccine is also seen to be very good because it does not use viral vectors and adjuvants", said Director-General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu.

The Ministry of Health, said Maxi, hopes that all stages of vaccine development can be followed properly so that the vaccine can be used safely.

"The Ministry of Health welcomes and supports the development of the COVID-19 GX-19N vaccine, which can later increase the fulfillment of vaccine needs in Indonesia", he explained.