TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned pharmaceutical firm PT Bio Farma CEO Honesti Basyir said the development of COVID-19 vaccines requires a budget of Rp103.7 billion.

In detail, he added, Rp63.2 billion is needed for the study along with several research institutions under the coordination of the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology.

The rest Rp40.5 billion budget is used to conduct a joint clinical study with Chinese-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. Bio Farma was also waiting for permission for the vaccine clinical trial from CEPI (the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations).

“We need around Rp103 billion to develop this vaccine, either that of based on the virus strain in Indonesia or clinical tests with Sinovac and CEPI,” said Honesti in a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX on Tuesday, July 14.

He said he had cooperated with the Research and Technology Ministry regarding the financial need. The budget for vaccine development, pre-clinical tests, and clinical tests will likely be covered by the government.

“As a result of communication with the Ministry, we will possibly use a full budget from the ministry,” he added.

Bio Farma expected that the research budget will be covered by the government. However, it will use its own budget for cure production.

Honesti went on to say that Bio Farma had obtained permits to conduct clinical tests of Sinovac-made vaccines in its facility in Bandung in August, in collaboration with the Medicine Faculty of Padjadjaran University.

If the test turns out well, Bio Farma will immediately start the COVID-19 vaccine production in the first quarter of 2021. Honesti claimed his company can produce 250 million doses per year.

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