Russian companies have expressed readiness to explore technology transfers and the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Indonesia,
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and Russia are exploring technology transfers to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical production, reduce import dependence and improve oversight of medicines and food products, Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) said on Saturday.
BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar met with Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Alexey Vladimirovich Gruzdev to discuss pharmaceutical industry development, good manufacturing practice (GMP) inspections and digital technologies to improve product traceability and regulatory oversight.
Ikrar highlighted the need to expand domestic production of diabetes medicines, including insulin and drugs based on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), to reduce reliance on imports and improve public access to essential treatments.
The discussions also covered advanced pharmaceutical products, including advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies, monoclonal antibodies, antiviral drugs and blood fractionation products.
Ikrar said the discussions build on cooperation initiatives launched in 2021 between BPOM and Russia’s State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices (SID&GP), particularly in exchanging GMP information, training inspectors and conducting mock inspections.
The two sides also discussed expediting the finalization of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between BPOM and Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to establish a framework for further cooperation.
In May 2026, BPOM conducted a GMP inspection at an insulin manufacturing facility in Russia. The Russian delegation also reported that five or six Russian pharmaceutical companies had submitted product registration documents to BPOM. Russia presented its Pharma 2020 and Pharma 2030 programs, which aim to strengthen pharmaceutical self-sufficiency by expanding domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, essential medicines and vaccines.
Russian companies have expressed readiness to explore technology transfers and the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, particularly for insulin, oncology medicines and biotechnology products, the delegation said.
The delegation cited the Mechnikov Institute of Biotechnology in Nicaragua as an example of international cooperation involving technology transfer and training for local technical personnel.
Vladislav Shestakov, director of SID&GP, outlined the institution’s experience conducting GMP inspections at pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities overseas. SID&GP operates under Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and assesses foreign facilities for compliance with Russian and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) GMP requirements.
Since 2016, SID&GP has reportedly conducted more than 4,000 inspections in 75 countries, supported by 58 qualified inspectors, around half of whom hold World Health Organization (WHO) inspector certification.
Russia proposed exploring a roadmap toward a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) for GMP certificates to streamline regulatory procedures and facilitate pharmaceutical market access in both countries. The proposal requires further discussion, taking into account each authority’s regulations, standards and legal powers.
To strengthen Indonesia’s inspection capacity, SID&GP offered training through the Eurasian Academy of Good Practices, which provides more than 40 technical training modules. Its VR Factory uses virtual reality simulations to support practical GMP inspection training.
The meeting also addressed digital technologies to strengthen regulatory oversight and improve product traceability throughout pharmaceutical and food supply chains. The two sides discussed arrangements to finalize and sign the MoU, which is intended to be signed by Ikrar and Russia’s minister of industry and trade.
Gruzdev also invited Ikrar to visit Moscow to discuss the proposed MoU and tour Russian pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and digital regulatory systems.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna N P, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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