Indonesia to put into use two home-grown COVID-19 vaccines

Jakarta (VNA) – Head of the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny Lukito has confirmed that two domestically made COVID-19 vaccines, namely Indovac and Inavec, are expected to obtain an emergency use authorisation (EUA) from BPOM in September 2022.

The two vaccine products are entering the final phase of clinical trials, she said.

Indovac, with a sub-unit recombinant protein platform, was developed by the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology along with the state-owned pharmaceutical company, PT Bio Farma, and Baylor College of Medicine.

Meanwhile, the Inavec vaccine, with an inactivated virus platform, is developed by the Research Team from Airlangga University (Unair) in collaboration with production facility provider PT Biotis Pharmaceutical Indonesia, she revealed.

Lukito targets the Indovac and Inavec vaccines to obtain an emergency use authorisation (EUA) from BPOM in September 2022.

Both vaccines have passed phase two of the clinical trial with good results. They are able to improve the immune system, and the results are not inferior to vaccines that have received EUA with the same technology,  she remarked.

Currently, the BPOM is still conducting a review of research reports on thousands of subjects that received a second injection in each trial laboratory.

The third phase of clinical trials of the two domestic vaccines is also accompanied by the granting of permits for clinical trial activities for booster vaccines or booster doses, she said./.