Indonesia to begin human trials of COVID-19 vaccine by China's Sinovac Biotech

Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and China's Sinovac are set to begin phase III, the final clinical trials for the Chinese experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac next month. PT Bio Farma (Persero) COVID-19 vaccine trials will involve 1,620 participants. Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd announced the manufacture of at least 2,400 dosages of vaccines if the trials are successful, according to reports.  

Bio Farma Research & Development Project Integration Manager Dr. Neni Nurainy was quoted as saying that the vaccines will be internally tested at Bio Farma's lab, but the clinical trial will be carried out by Padjadjaran University. Further, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, also a national economic and COVID-19 recovery committee member reportedly said that pharmaceutical holding company Bio Frama is expected to produce 250 million doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine per year by the end of 2020.  

Bio Farma aims to distribute 40 million vaccine doses yearly as soon as the government authorized its widespread usage, Bio Farma president director, Honesti Basyir said last month, according to a report.  

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During an inspection of Bio Farma’s laboratories and production facilities in Bandung, West Java, Eric revealed that the firm was “ready” to manufacture some 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine per year minimum. However, the goal is to push the dosage supply to 250 million by 2021, state media reported. Further, he insisted the final stages trials must be carried out without delay so the production of the COVID-19 vaccine could begin and the public can be immunized by next year.  

Vaccine proven “safe” in Phase I&II trials

COVID-19 experimental vaccine used in last stage trials has been developed by Chinese drug maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. In collaboration with a team of Indonesian scientists and researchers, as well as Indonesian state-owned drug maker PT Bio Farma, a professor at the Padjadjaran Public University in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, Kusnandi Rusmil reportedly said. He added that the vaccine candidates passed through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials successfully with promising results. The vaccine, in those trials, is proven “safe”, he added. 

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