Jakarta, INTI - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is preparing 19 herbal medicine candidates for potential advancement to phytopharmaceutical status as part of efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s pharmaceutical independence, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directives.

BRIN Head Arif Satria said herbal medicine development holds significant potential to meet domestic pharmaceutical needs by harnessing research findings and innovations produced by Indonesian researchers.

According to Arif, BRIN has established collaborations with various stakeholders to accelerate the research, development, and classification of herbal medicines so they can meet the requirements for phytopharmaceutical status.

“Herbal medicines have considerable potential, and BRIN has collaborated with various parties to accelerate their development,” Arif said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He made the statement after meeting President Prabowo to report on the progress of several national research and innovation priorities.

During the meeting, Prabowo emphasized the importance of accelerating pharmaceutical self-reliance to strengthen Indonesia’s capacity to develop and supply medicines through domestic research.

BRIN Prepares 19 Herbal Medicine Candidates for Clinical Trials

Arif explained that 19 herbal medicine candidates are being prepared to meet the requirements for classification as phytopharmaceuticals.

Several herbal products developed through BRIN research are currently classified as standardized herbal medicines, known in Indonesia as Obat Herbal Terstandar (OHT). This category comprises natural medicines that have undergone standardization and preclinical testing in accordance with applicable regulations.

To qualify as phytopharmaceuticals, herbal medicines must meet additional requirements, including scientific evidence of safety and efficacy through clinical trials involving humans.

Clinical trials for the herbal medicine candidates are currently underway as part of the development process before the products can obtain phytopharmaceutical status.

Phytopharmaceuticals are natural medicines whose safety and efficacy have been scientifically established through preclinical and clinical testing and that meet the required quality standards.

BRIN plans to strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Health and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) to accelerate product development and compliance with the requirements for phytopharmaceutical classification.

This collaboration aims to facilitate research, testing, and compliance with applicable safety, efficacy, and quality standards.

The development of these 19 herbal medicine candidates represents one of BRIN’s initiatives to support Prabowo’s directive to strengthen Indonesia’s capacity to produce medicines based on domestic research.

Prabowo Calls for Faster Malaria Vaccine Research as BRIN Develops Four Candidates

In addition to herbal medicine development, Arif reported on progress in malaria vaccine research being conducted by BRIN in collaboration with several relevant institutions.

Prabowo has called for accelerated malaria vaccine research and development as part of broader efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s healthcare research capabilities and domestic vaccine development.

BRIN is currently developing four malaria vaccine candidates in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and national pharmaceutical company Bio Farma.

All four candidates remain in the development stage and require further research and testing before they can be made widely available.

These stages are essential to establishing the vaccines’ safety, effectiveness, and suitability in accordance with applicable requirements for healthcare product development.

The collaboration between BRIN, the Ministry of Health, and Bio Farma is expected to support faster vaccine research while strengthening Indonesia’s domestic healthcare technology development capabilities.

BRIN Develops Forest Fire Management Technology and Fire Spread Models

During the meeting, Arif also outlined BRIN’s involvement in managing forest and land fires through research and technological applications.

BRIN is collaborating with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Ministry of Forestry, and the Indonesian Air Force.

One component of this cooperation is weather modification operations, which form part of efforts to manage forest and land fires.

Beyond supporting weather modification operations, BRIN is conducting research into fire spread models at forest and land fire sites.

The research aims to improve understanding of how fires spread, enabling the findings to inform planning and operational strategies for fire management.

Developing fire spread models is also part of BRIN’s broader effort to apply research and technology to disaster prevention and response.

Palm Oil Waste Could Generate 3.9 GW of Electricity as BRIN Develops Biogas Storage Technology

In the energy sector, Arif briefed Prabowo on the potential use of palm oil industry waste as a feedstock for biogas production to support domestic alternative energy supplies.

According to Arif, palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunches have considerable potential to be processed into energy resources.

Based on the potential outlined by Arif, utilizing these two types of waste could generate approximately 3.9 gigawatts of electricity capacity.

This potential highlights opportunities to develop alternative energy from palm oil industry waste while increasing the value of by-products generated during palm oil processing.

BRIN has also introduced Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) technology, a porous material that can store gases through adsorption within its internal surface structure.

Arif explained that MOF technology could potentially support biogas storage, allowing gas produced from waste processing to be stored in cylinders and used more conveniently as an energy source.

The development of this storage technology is expected to expand the use of biogas as an alternative energy source derived from domestic resources.

Arif also highlighted the importance of alternative energy development given Indonesia’s substantial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import expenditure, which he said amounts to approximately Rp97 trillion annually.

Against this backdrop, developing biogas processing and storage technologies could help strengthen domestic energy supplies, although broader adoption will require further technological development and infrastructure readiness.

BRIN’s report to President Prabowo covered several national research priorities, ranging from the development of 19 herbal medicine candidates toward phytopharmaceutical status and four malaria vaccine candidates to forest fire management technology and the utilization of palm oil waste for energy production.

Through these initiatives, BRIN aims to accelerate domestic research and innovation to support pharmaceutical independence, strengthen healthcare research, improve forest and land fire management, and advance alternative energy development across Indonesia.

Conclusion 

BRIN is advancing a range of national research initiatives to strengthen Indonesia’s self-reliance in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, disaster management, and energy. From preparing 19 herbal medicine candidates for phytopharmaceutical classification and developing four malaria vaccine candidates to improving forest fire management and exploring biogas production from palm oil waste, these efforts highlight the strategic role of domestic research and innovation. Through collaboration with government agencies and industry partners, BRIN aims to accelerate the development of homegrown technologies, reduce dependence on imported products, and support Indonesia’s long-term sustainable development.

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