Bio Farma president director Honesti Basyir said that CEPI would use the company’s facility, which is said to be capable of producing up to 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine a year once one is developed. Production is expected to start between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. 

“CEPI only partners with vaccine producers that meet their standards, one of which is Bio Farma,” Honesti said in a statement on Thursday. 

CEPI is a global partnership involving public, private and philanthropic organizations. It aims to solve epidemics through vaccine development. 

Through its COVAX response program, the coalition aims to deliver 2 billion doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021 to its partner countries. 

The global coalition picked Bio Farma following a due diligence test in September, in which CEPI evaluated the company’s capabilities in developing a vaccine, including its production, laboratory analysis and technology information systems. 

Honesti said the partnership would not disrupt the company’s daily operations. He also conveyed his hope that the collaboration with CEPI would extend beyond COVID-19 vaccine research, with Bio Farma to gain access to more advanced manufacturing technologies. 

Popular

Analysis: Prabowo’s approval rating 51 percent and falling

A healthy economy must be felt

Poverty falls, but the line is too low, economists say