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ndonesia is aiming to manufacture its first, locally produced vaccine to combat the H5N1 avian influenza virus by 2013, with state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Biofarma working to prepare its facilities for developing the vaccine for mass production, a minister says.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said that Biofarma was currently working on an initial stage of the vaccine, a process that could lead the way for its mass production in 2013.

“It takes a long time to manufacture the bird-flu vaccine on a large scale. If the budget is available this year, then we will be able to have the facilities ready by the end of 2013,” Endang told reporters after witnessing the signing of an agreement between the Health Ministry and the Research and Technology Ministry on vaccine research and development.

The government has developed a research consortium to develop the bird-flu vaccine to deal with any outbreaks. The consortium, led by the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine, involves several other institutions, including the Eijkman Institute, Health Research and Development Agency at the Health Ministry, the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), UI’s School of Engineering, Biofarma and the University of Airlangga in Surabaya, East Java.

“[The consortium] produced an avian influenza vaccine prototype under joint research in 2011,” said Endang on Wednesday.

In their research, scientists from the University of Airlangga succeeded in developing an H5N1 avian influenza vaccine seed that could kill the highly pathogenic bird flu virus in cases of human infection.

The vaccine seed, which costs about Rp 2 billion (US$234,000) to produce, was a first for Indonesia as it was developed from bird flu virus found in the country. It was also the first vaccine seed locally produced by Indonesian experts.

Indonesia has an estimated 170 variants of bird flu, making it the country with the highest potential for developing bird flu-vaccine seeds.

The consortium, Endang said, would continue to work with its partners to conduct research in order to develop other vaccines for diseases like malaria, HIV, Rotavirus, Pneumococcus, as well as adjuvant vaccines and other raw materials for medicine.

Studies show that about 95 percent of raw materials for medicines in Indonesia is imported.

“We have been unable to domestically produce the raw materials because there is this perception that to do so would be too costly compared with importing them. This is baseless,” said Endang, referring to the country’s natural resources, which offer vital sources of raw materials for medicines.

She said that Indonesia has managed to cultivate Artemisinin annua, a plant that produces a natural medicine called Artemisinin , which is deemed the most effective active ingredient for treating malaria.

Iskandar, Biofarma’s president director, said innovation holds the key to overcoming challenges in developing home-grown vaccines.

“As a first step, we need to streamline the long process of vaccine research and development by improving collaboration between academics, business people and the government,” he said.

Reviving the National Vaccine Research Forum was one of the steps needed to accelerate vaccine development in the country, he added.

The forum consists of eight consortiums established to conduct research and development for vaccines for dengue fever, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Rotavirus, bird flu and the new tuberculosis vaccines.

During the signing of the agreement, UI Rector Gumilar Rusliwa Somantri handed over a bird flu-vaccine prototype to Biofarma, marking a partnership that is expected to last the next 15 years.

Endang said the partnership for vaccine development was one of many modes of support offered by the government to end the country’s dependence on foreign manufacturers.

The partnership is also expected to expedite the mass production of vaccines at home.

“The university’s researchers will produce the vaccine’s prototype and Biofarma will mass-produce it. And the government will buy the locally produced vaccines,” she said.

The Research and Technology Ministry provides funding for the consortium.