B. Braun Indonesia, the local unit of the German medical and pharmaceutical device company, held the opening ceremony for its factory on Thursday (27/07). This new factory, expected to be fully operational in 2018, is the company's first infusion solutions factory in Indonesia. The move implies that B. Braun Indonesia expanded its business activities from merely being a distributor to becoming both distributor and manufacturer of infusion and injectable medicines in Indonesia.

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Kalbe Farma, Indonesia's largest pharmaceutical company, is set to start marketing its erythropoietin product (also known as EPO) domestically. Starting from mid-2018 Kalbe Farma will produce EPO, one of the raw materials for the production of medicines to treat cancer and kidney disease. The pharmaceutical company will become the first publicly listed company on the Indonesia Stock Exchange that produces EPO.

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Indonesia's pharmaceutical market will be worth USD $5.8 billion in 2017, up 5-6 percent (y/y) from the preceding year. Growth is attributed to Indonesia's universal health care program (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional, or JKN) that was launched in 2014. As such, Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry still has great potential, says Parulian Simanjuntak, Executive Director at the International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Group (IPMG).

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Foreign pharmaceutical companies have already invested more than USD $1 billion in Indonesia over the past couple of years. These investments involves 34 companies that are all members of the International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group (IPMG). Parulian Simanjuntak, IPMG Executive Director, informed that these investments have been conducted not only to establish new factories but also for other forms of business expansion as well as marketing. It is estimated that 205 pharmaceutical companies are competing for market share in Indonesia.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed Presidential Instruction No. 6/2016 on the Acceleration of Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry and Medical Devices on 8 June 2016. Through this instruction Widodo calls on all relevant ministries - including the Health Ministry, Industry Ministry and Finance Ministry - to take efforts to boost development of Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry. The Health Industry has a key task to write an action plan for the development of a self-sufficient pharmaceutical industry and to boost competitiveness.

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For its raw materials the pharmaceutical industry of Indonesia is highly dependent on imports. Around 90 percent of medicines' raw materials, roughly IDR 7 trillion (approx. USD $526 million), may be imported this year. Meanwhile, given the Indonesian government is eager to develop its universal health care program (launched in 2014), demand for pharmaceutical products in Indonesia is expected to rise further. Total clients under the national health insurance program is expected to rise from 162 million in 2015 to 186 million in 2016. By the year 2019 the government wants to provide universal health care to all Indonesians.

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In one of the next economic stimulus packages of the Indonesian government the focus will be on increasing domestic production of raw materials for medicines and medical devices. Currently, these industries are still highly dependent on imports of raw materials. It is estimated that around 90 percent of raw/basic materials for medicines and medical devices need to be imported from abroad and therefore cause additional pressure on Indonesia's balance of payments.

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Shares of Kalbe Farma, Indonesia’s largest pharmaceutical company, have been under pressure over the past couple of days due to the deaths of two hospital patients after they had taken a medicine manufactured by Kalbe Farma. According to the Indonesian Pharmacy Association (GP Farmasi Indonesia) Buvanest Spinal, an anesthetic, was wrongly packaged and hence did not contain bupivacaine but instead tranexamic acid, which aims to stop or reduce heavy bleeding (usually used during surgery).

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Phapros, subsidiary of state-owned Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia, intends to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015 by offering 10 to 20 percent of its enlarged capital to the public. Through this corporate action, Phapros, a pharmaceutical products manufacturer, aims to raise IDR 500 billion (USD $42.3 million) which will be used to finance the company's capital expenditure in the next two years. The company expects to grow on the implementation of Indonesia’s social security program per 1 January 2014.

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SidoMuncul Herbal, Indonesia´s largest herbal medicine producer, is expected to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the fourth quarter of 2013. The company, established in 1951, is a fully-modernized herbal company that strives to produce and market products that support the people´s health and well-being. The company will release 20 percent of its shares on the IDX and targets to raise IDR 1.5 trillion (USD $130 million). Kresna Securities acts as underwriter for the IPO.

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The pharmaceutical industry has been a center of focus in the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis because it has an important role to play. This industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets (pharmaceutical) drugs for use as medications, with the aim to cure the patients, vaccinate them, or alleviate the symptoms. Hence, developing a vaccine or cure to COVID-19 is the responsibility of the pharmaceutical industry.

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Vincent Harijanto, Head of the Indonesian Pharmaceutical Association (GP Farmasi) business development committee, said about 95 percent of raw materials used in Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry need to be imported from abroad. This dependence on imports causes several problems, for example prices of pharmaceutical products are relatively high on the Indonesian market, while Indonesian pharmaceutical companies (and Indonesian consumers) can suddenly face rising prices in times of rupiah depreciation.

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Companies active in the pharmaceutical industry of Indonesia need to find strategies to overcome sharp rupiah depreciation. Indonesia’s pharmaceutical industry is still - to a large extent - dependent on the import of raw materials, hence a weakening rupiah raises the costs of imports thus eroding profit margins. Since May 2013, when the US Federal Reserve started to hint at monetary tightening, the US dollar has experienced bullish momentum. Between the May 2013 and July 2015, the rupiah depreciated around 37 percent against the US dollar.

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