TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and several medical associations have begun clinical trials of immunomodulatory drugs extracted from the country’s herbal plants for Covid-19 patients.

The tests have been conducted at Covid-19 Emergency Hospital in Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Jakarta, since Monday, June 8.

The drugs are Cordyceps militaris and herbal combination which consists of ginger, gripeweed or locally known meniran, green chireta or sambiloto, and sembung leaves. LIPI chairman Tri Handoko opined that the clinical trial is the milestone for the development of supplements and medicines in Indonesia.

“This is the first clinical trial of herbal products aimed at treating Covid-19 in Indonesia, which is led and developed by Indonesian researchers,” said Handoko as quoted from the LIPI official page on Wednesday, June 10.

The clinical trials involve as many as 90 Covid-19 patients and are carried out along with the Association of Indonesian Doctors for the Development of Traditional and Herbal Medicine (PDPOTJI), the Indonesian Society of Respirology (PDPI), the Health Ministry’s Research and Development Center, and doctors at the Athletes Dorm Hospital, as well as the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).

Handoko reiterated that if the clinical trials succeed, the produced supplements can be claimed for the Covid-19 treatment. “So it could potentially be Indonesia’s next prominent export products,” he said.

A researcher from the LIPI’s Biotechnology Research Center, Masteria Yunovilsa Putra who is also the coordinator of the clinical trial said that the combination of the herbal medicines has received the BPOM’s distribution permit.

According to Putra, the herbal medicines and supplements are not only intended to treat Covid-19 patients but also to help the people and patients under the monitoring of Covid-19 (ODP and PDP). “Hopefully, the analysis and temporary results of the clinical trial will come out by July,” he said.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI