Indonesia seeks self-reliance in pharmaceutical raw materials

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has targeted national drug raw material self-reliance through synergy among academia, businesses, and government to free Indonesia from import dependence exceeding 90 percent.

The Head of BPOM Taruna Ikrar, at the 2026 Indonesia Science, Technology, and Industry Convention (KSTI) here on Thursday said the pharmaceutical sector is crucial to public welfare, so high dependence on foreign supply is a concern for the health resilience system.

“As we know, the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry is heading toward raw material self-reliance, meaning how Indonesian pharmaceuticals move forward to become independent in drug raw materials,” Ikrar said.

Ikrar highlighted that Indonesia is geographically blessed with abundant botanical resources, with more than 31,000 plant species, supported by the world’s fourth-largest market of nearly 300 million people.

He also cited historical evidence of an ancient surgical amputation found in East Kalimantan dating back 31,000 years, indicating that ancestors used botanical riches successfully.

However, turning these natural resources into industrial and commercial scale is still hampered by limited extraction technology, suboptimal regulations, and failures in downstreaming research, he said.

In response, BPOM has developed a bridging strategy uniting three main pillars, which are academia, business, and government.

The cross-sector collaboration has so far produced positive results, with BPOM approving marketing authorization for 898 natural-based medicine products from collaborative research.

Ikrar expressed hope that a solid research ecosystem through synergy can inspire young scientists to make revolutionary discoveries, even win a Nobel Prize, while affirming the sovereignty of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.

“From made in Indonesia to innovate in Indonesia. Meaning, with collaboration, we build Indonesia’s future as a center of innovation and pharmaceutical products, a host in our own country and an honored guest on the global stage,” Ikrar said.

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Translator: Sean, Kenzu
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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