'Merah Putih' COVID-19 Vaccine; Govt Considering Export Potential
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13 October 2020 10:27 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro in Monday’s live Instagram discussion with Tempo said the government is considering exporting the home-developed ‘Merah Putih’ COVID-19 vaccine after future domestic needs are fulfilled.
The Merah Putih vaccine is currently in its early stages and is developed by a number of appointed institutions and universities.
“We are developing the vaccine for Indonesia’s needs. But we are also seeing [the potential] to supply other nations,” said Bambang Brodjonegoro on Monday.
The national COVID-19 vaccine is currently developed and has shown six candidates that are under the development of the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Bandung Institute of Technology, the Airlangga University, the University of Indonesia (UI), and the Gadjah Mada University.
The clinical trial of the vaccine will be done by Eijkman and UI in the first quarter of 2021 and will progress to the next stage of clinical trials if results are promising and will eventually enter the stage where it is ready to be mass-produced.
Read also: Indonesia Explores COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation with UK, Switzerland
FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA
