The UGM Faculty of Pharmacy organized an online seminar entitled "Future Prospect of Protein in Pharmaceutical Field" on Saturday (21/11). There was also collaboration within this seminar. It is a partnership with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and University Putra Malaysia.
Prof. apt. Agung Endro Nugroho, M.Sc., Ph.D., as the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy, emphasized that this seminar was organized based on our mutual interest in Indonesia's pharmaceutical circumstances. He also added that Indonesia still has to import 95 percent of the raw materials to manufacture drugs. Besides, Indonesia currently only has 62 Standardized Herbal Medicines (OHT) products and 24 Phyto-pharmacy medicinal products, which are still often flaring up in the field.
"Indonesia is a country with the third-largest biodiversity in the world, after Brazil and Colombia. Besides, we also trust our country that it can reach the number of pharmacy colleges 270. These figures are very unfortunate considering these potentials, "he said.
Agung stated that this was a challenge for us in the pharmaceutical sector. The challenge is to conceive ideas and innovations on exploring medicine from various sources, be it plants, animals, synthesis, minerals, microorganisms, or technology.
"One of which is including the goal from this online seminar itself, namely how to explore drugs from protein raw materials," he said.
There were three resources invited to examine this problem. They are representatives of each of the parties working together in this event. The three of them are Prof. Dr. apt. Sismindari, SU. (Lecturer at the UGM Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry), Prof. Dr. Amin Ismail (Director of Center for Quality Assurance Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Medicine and Health University Putra Malaysia), and Dr.rer.nat. Anis H. Mahsunah, M.Sc. (Director of the Biotechnology Laboratory of BPPT). The complete versions from the three speakers can be watched through the online seminar postponement broadcast at https://youtu.be/dKIE5u4mTE4.
Finally, Agung hoped that this online seminar's material could become more extensive knowledge of drug development. He also hoped that it would stimulate other ideas about drug development, especially from protein raw materials.
"Therefore, this strategy will be a step towards a solution to stimulate the independence of Indonesian pharmaceutical raw materials. Hopefully, today's material will give insightful knowledge, both for us in the field of pharmacy and general Indonesian society," he concluded.
Author: Hakam
Translator: Natasa A