Pandemic Will Become Endemic, Kalbe Farma Owned By Conglomerate Boenjamin Setiawan Stops Development Of The GX-19 COVID Vaccine

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The pharmaceutical company owned by conglomerate Boenjamin Setiawan, PT Kalbe Farma Tbk (KLBF), and Genexine decided to stop the process of developing the COVID-19 vaccine GX-19. The decision took into account the plan to change the status of the Covid-19 pandemic to endemic.

On the other hand, the supply of COVID-19 vaccines used for primary or booster vaccines is well-available.

"The change in the status of the COVID-19 pandemic to endemic, such as influenza, causes the urgency of vaccine development to become insignificant, plus the supply of vaccines in Indonesia is sufficient," said Sie Djohan, Director of Kalbe Farma in an information disclosure on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) website, Thursday, March 17th.

In fact, the development of the GX-19 vaccine has so far entered the 2b/3 clinical trial phase in Indonesia. Although the development process for the GX-19 vaccine is stopped, KLBF will still utilize DNA technology for the development of other vaccines as needed, for example for oncology.

"We continue to innovate to develop DNA vaccine technology into other vaccines outside of Covid-19, for example for oncology," he said.

Kalbe Farma Director Bernadus Karmin Winata added, Kalbe's strategy to stop the process of developing the COVID-19 vaccine into another DNA-based vaccine has no material impact on the company's business. Because, since the beginning, the contribution of the GX-19 vaccine business has not been taken into account in the company's revenue target.

"The costs that have been spent for the phase 2b/3 clinical trial process are also immaterial and do not affect the company's finances," concluded Bernadus.