Indonesia explores Russian drug technology to reduce import reliance
Talks covered potential local factories, diabetes treatments and a Russian proposal to examine mutual recognition of manufacturing certificates.
Indonesia is looking into pharmaceutical technology transfers with Russia as it seeks to make more medicines domestically and depend less on imports, according to Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority (BPOM). Russian representatives said companies were open to exploring transfers and potential manufacturing sites in Indonesia.
The delegation identified insulin, cancer medicines and biotechnology products as areas of interest. It also reported that five or six Russian drug companies had sent BPOM documents for product registration.
At a meeting with Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Alexey Vladimirovich Gruzdev, BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar stressed Indonesia’s need for greater domestic output of diabetes treatments. These included insulin and medicines based on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), with the aim of improving access to essential treatments.
Russia put forward the possibility of developing a roadmap for recognising each other’s good manufacturing practice (GMP) certificates. Further negotiations would be needed to address the two regulators’ standards, rules and statutory authority.
Cooperation between BPOM and Russia’s State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices (SID&GP) began in 2021, encompassing inspector training, simulated inspections and information sharing on GMP. Indonesian inspectors assessed a Russian insulin plant in May 2026. SID&GP also offered further technical training.
Other topics included using digital technology to track food and pharmaceutical products and strengthen regulatory monitoring. Officials considered how to speed up completion and signing of a cooperation memorandum between BPOM and the Russian industry and trade ministry. Gruzdev invited Ikrar to Moscow for additional talks and tours of drug factories and digital regulatory systems.
