Bio Farma Set to Produce 250 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine By Year’s End: SOE Minister

SOEs Minister inspects Bio Farma lab and production facilities, Bandung, West Java province, Tuesday (8/4). (Photo by: SOEs Ministry)

The Government has announced that state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma is ready to produce 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine per year by the end of this year.

According to Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir – who also helms the COVID-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery Working Committee – the company is also ready to hold phase 3 of clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed in partnership with private Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.

“Today, I’m pleased to announce that Bio Farma is now ready to produce 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine per year and by the end of the year it is ready to produce 250 million doses per year,” he said during a visit to Bio Farma labs and production facilities in West Java provincial capital of Bandung, Tuesday (8/4).

The Minister also pointed out that one of the main focuses of the Working Committee is to double availability of vaccines and treatment therapies in a bid to speed up the handling of the pandemic.

“Bio Farma has proven itself in vaccine production in collaboration with other countries as well as its own pure vaccines. This is the work of our fellow countrymen. We hold optimum clinical trials and produce the COVID-19 vaccine so next year the people can be immunized immediately,” he said.

The Minister also reiterated that the public must remain disciplined in implementing health protocols.

For the record, Bio Farma has been producing vaccines since 1890 and is trusted by more than 150 countries in producing 15 types of vaccines with a 75% market share of polio vaccines spread worldwide.

The company also ensures that its products are halal (acceptable under Islamic law) and have been used in several Arab/Muslim majority countries. (Communication Team of COVID-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery Committee/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas