JAKARTA - The Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) supports the development of biopharmaceutical products or pharmaceuticals from biological sources produced domestically taking into account science and research bases.
"We are very supportive for the development of biologically-based biopharmaceutical products due to milder side effects," said Head of BPOM, Penny K Lukito at the PT Kalbe Farma factory, Cikarang, Monday, January 30.
On that occasion, BPOM issued a distribution permit for the Rituxical drug made by PT Kalbio Global Medika which had gone through various compatibility tests compared to the Mabthera brand of Rituximab innovator. The drug is beneficial for the treatment of non-hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocitic cancer.
Penny said that usually medicines for cancer are chemicals that have side effects. With the presence of biopharmaceutical products, it is hoped that they can be an alternative or option for medical personnel.
With the issuance of a rutuxical distribution permit made domestically, Penny hopes that this will be an inspiration and innovation for the pharmaceutical industry and other biopharmaceuticals. He also hopes that further biopharmaceuticals can be developed to treat other types of cancer, not only lymphoma cancer.
"So, God willing, we can overcome cancer diseases with drugs that may also not be too expensive, relatively cheaper if produced domestically," he said, quoted from Antara.
Penny said the presence of Rituxical products is a form of collaboration between the government and the pharmaceutical industry to provide the best service for the community.
Domestically produced drug products can also support government programs mandated through Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 6 of 2016 concerning the Acceleration of the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry and Medical Devices and Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2022 related to the Domestic Content Level (TKDN).
"So later in purchasing procurement from the government for medicinal products that have also been entered, the priority e-catalog is the TKDN which is large, the domestic portion," said Penny.
"I think products like this (domestic products) will certainly be included in the e-catalog quickly, well, and will also be absorbed by the government in this matter," he added.
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