Government Strives Molnupiravir For COVID-19 Drugs Can Be Used By The End Of This Year

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Photo: covid19.go.id)

JAKARTA - The government continues to make efforts to procure COVID-19 medicines in preparation for the next wave of virus transmission. One of the drugs being developed is the antiviral Molnupiravir made by Merck, a pharmaceutical company from the United States.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin even said that the government is currently in the stage of finalizing the agreement. So it is hoped that by the end of the year this antiviral drug can be used in the country.

"We have reached the stage of finalizing the agreement so that Indonesia can procure Molnupiravir tablets by the end of this year," Budi said in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Monday, October 25.

This step was taken after he and the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan visited the United States to hold talks with Merck a few weeks ago.

"So we have sufficient reserves if there is a potential for the next wave," said the former Deputy Minister of SOEs.

Not only that, the government also continues to explore cooperation with the manufacturer so that Merck wants to build a factory in Indonesia.

"We have explored with them how to build a drug factory in Indonesia, including the raw materials for the medicine," said Budi.

As previously reported, there are a number of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs that are currently being tested by the government. One of them is drugs that are categorized as monoclonal antibodies, namely Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab.

In addition, the government is also exploring and studying new antiviral drugs that are considered promising, such as Merck's Molnupiravir, Atea Pharmaceuticals' AT527, and Kintor Pharmaceticals' Proxalutamide.