The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point for the medical world, prompting many countries to strengthen their health resilience. One key effort involves the development of pharmaceuticals and vaccines in the biopharmaceutical sector. Unfortunately, Indonesia still relies on around 80 percent of its pharmaceutical raw materials from abroad. This issue was raised during the Indonesia Biopharmaceutical Summit (IBS) 2025, themed “Shaping the Future of Biopharma in Indonesia,” held on 6-7 November 2025 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Pharmacy UGM).
The Director of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Resilience at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Jeffri Ardiyanto, stated that Indonesia currently has more than 2,043 pharmaceutical industries, most of which are concentrated on the island of Java, while areas outside Java remain limited.
He added that the government’s national health expenditure, amounting to around Rp200 trillion per year, is used to support the pharmaceutical sector, including the procurement of locally produced medicines.
“The demand for medicines and medical devices must be addressed promptly as national pharmaceutical needs continue to grow due to changes in disease patterns,” he said.
Dr. Ardiyanto noted a shift in the dominant diseases over the past decade, from infectious to non-communicable diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
“Our products that have already been locally produced include enoxaparin, insulin glargine, and EPO, while vaccines for rubella, dengue, HPV, and tuberculosis are currently under development,” he mentioned.
Acep Riza Wijayadikusumah, Head of Life Science Product Development Division at PT Bio Farma, shared his experience developing the nOPV2 polio vaccine, a research project initiated in 2011.
He emphasized that this achievement demonstrates how local innovation can make a global impact.
Wijayadikusumah explained that the fundamental concept of vaccination is to block the interaction between pathogens, whether viruses or bacteria, and human cells.
“When pathogens enter the body, they look for openings to infect. Through vaccination, we develop antibodies that can close those entry points,” he explained.
Amid the industrial challenges, Dr. Miles Shi, General Manager of TechOps at PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia, outlined four interrelated pillars of the biopharmaceutical industry: regulation, supply chain, talent development, and cost efficiency.
He emphasized that these aspects cannot function in isolation and must be managed through collaboration between industry, academia, and government.
“In academia, activities are often limited to research and prototyping, so it’s essential to engage industry and government institutions like BPOM to ensure products can be legally produced and marketed,” he said.
The Dean of Pharmacy UGM, Professor Satibi, highlighted that this diversity provides opportunities for cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing, from laboratory research to practical application.
“Together with PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia (Etana) and the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sanata Dharma (USD) as co-hosts, this summit opens up avenues for collaboration to strengthen Indonesia’s health resilience,” said Professor Satibi.
The IBS 2025 was attended by approximately 286 participants, both online and in person, including academics, researchers, biopharmaceutical industry practitioners, and representatives from government agencies such as BPOM.
They joined discussions with 18 prominent speakers from various biopharmaceutical institutions and industries, both domestic and international, to explore this vital topic.
Author: Hanifah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographer: Aldi