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Bandung, W Java, Indonesia, June 17, 2013 - (ACN Newswire) - Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries have mulled and discussed their efforts on becoming self-reliant in vaccine production.
"Among Islamic countries, only Indonesia through Bio Farma has the capacity as vaccine producer and can export its products, thus (Indonesia) is self-reliant in vaccine," Mohammd Razley, OIC Director General for Science and Technology of OIC (from Malaysia), told a workshop on vaccine quality management in Bandung on Monday.
The workshop was held in conjunction with the 2nd meeting of OIC vaccine- and medicine-manufacturers in the capital city of Indonesia's West Java province. Vaccine experts and officials from nine OIC member countries (with vaccine-manufacturing companies or institutions) out of the total 57 members attending the meeting that runs from 16 to 19 June, 2013.
Razley added that self-reliance does not mean all OIC member countries must have their own vaccine industries as each member may pursue collaboration if they cannot produce vaccines on their own but has the capability to purchase them for their people. Razley, a Malaysian national, disclosed that Malaysia will only be able to produce vaccines on its own by the year 2020.
In the workshop, the Indonesian government shared experience and offer cooperation with OIC member states on strengthening their national regulatory authority (NRA) functions in vaccine manufacturing for global markets.
"We are willing to share with all member states of OIC our experiences in strengthening national regulatory authority functions in vaccine manufacturing," said Lucky S. Slamet, head of Indonesian Agency for Food and Drug Control said.
Slamet went on to say that NRAs hold a decisive role in guaranteeing the quality of vaccine supplied to the global markets. The World Health Organization (WHO), therefore, always evaluates NRAs through capacity building efforts so as to ever strengthening them in this aspect.
"The WHO has declared us, the Indonesian National Agency of Food and Drug Control, to have performed an international standard control function, in particular, on vaccine. With this achievement, Indonesia now has a wide opportunity - through Bio Farma - to export its products to international markets," she pointed out.
Slamet added, Indonesia is ready and willing to share with OIC member states the experience in strengthening their RNA functions in vaccine manufacturing. "Out of the total 57 OIC member states only five countries having their vaccine manufacturers and out of this five only one that can export its products, namely Bio Farma," Slamet emphasized.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), NRAs are national regulatory agencies responsible for ensuring that products released for public distribution (normally pharmaceuticals and biological products, such as vaccines) are evaluated properly and meet international standards of quality and safety.
Countries producing vaccines need to exercise six critical control functions, and exercise them in a competent and independent manner, backed up with enforcement power. The six functions are a published set of requirements for licensing, surveillance of vaccine field performance, system of lot release, use of laboratory when needed, regular inspections for good manufacturing practices (GMP) and clinical performance evaluation.
Muhammed Mahesar of Pakistan, an OIC steering commitee representative on scientific technology development, lauded the meeting as an interesting gathering for strengthening collaboration among OIC member states on vaccine manufacturing.
Within OIC, he said, the issues related to the matter have been discussed, in particular those related to the aspects of vaccine distribution and self-reliance.
Bio Farma is Indonesia's only vaccine manufacturer whose products recognized by WHO since 1997 so that it export its products to over 120 countries worldwide.
The needs for Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccines in Indonesia have been supplied solely by Bio Farma by producing and distributing over 1.7 billion doses of vaccine per year.
Bio Farma has an outstanding international reputation based on the WHO prequalification for all of its EPI vaccine products and has also implemented green industry and is environment friendly. WHO acknowledges that Bio Farma vaccine products are of high quality, efficacious, and affordable.
Bio Farma products are through the direct distribution or through various agencies such as UNICEF, PAHO. The company has obtained the Best Export Performance from the Indonesian Trade Ministry consecutively in 2010,2011, 2012 as an evidence of its consistent exceptional performance.
About OIC
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
Contact:
M. Rahman Rustan
Corporate Secretary
Bio Farma
+62 22 2033755
+62 22 2041306
pr@biofarma.co.id
Topic: Trade Show or Conference
Source: PT Bio Farma (Persero)
Sectors: BioTech
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From the Asia Corporate News Network
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