Eijkman Institute To Complete COVID-19 Vaccine Seeds By 2021

Head of the EIjkman Institute of Molecular Biology Professor Amin Soebandrio (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - In addition to working with pharmaceutical companies, Indonesia also plans to make a COVID-19 vaccine independently. The plan is for the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology to develop a Red and White vaccine against COVID-19 by 2021.

Launching Antara, Head of the EIjkman Institute of Molecular Biology, Professor Amin Soebandrio, said that his party had conducted research on the amplification of the COVID-19 gene. Based on the genetic amplification that has been done by cloning, it has been tested into mammalian cells.

"It is hoped that the completion may be done in early 2021, around February or March," said Prof. Amin, Monday, July 27.

Currently, the Eijkman Institute is still waiting for the development of mammalian cells that have been injected with the COVID-19 gene to produce a designed recombinant protein. This recombinant protein will then become an antigen.

"If this recombinant protein has been produced and then purified, then we can only start testing experimental animals which are likely to start in about 2-3 months and after these animal trials are complete, the seeds of this Red and White vaccine then we can submit it to Bio Farma, "he explained.

Currently the development of the Red and White vaccine has reached about 30 percent of the entire process. Even though the antigen has not been 100 percent complete, the achievement of progressing about 30 percent is the foundation of vaccine research itself.

"If this has been completed, it is hoped that in the future it will be faster," said Prof. Amin.

To deal with COVID-19 independently, Indonesia is developing a vaccine candidate named Merah Putih. The vaccine research collaboration was carried out between the Eijkman Institute, LIPI, Bio Farma, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and the National Vaccine Acceleration Team consisting of the Ministry of Research and Technology, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of BUMN.