Indonesia’s BPOM Approves Russian Covid-19 Medication

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia is set to take its preventive and containment measures against the coronavirus pandemic to a new level, after the Food and Drug Agency or BPOM has authorized the use of the Russian-made Avifavir Covid-19 medication.

“BPOM has issued the emergency use authorization or EUA for Avifavir,” the Agency’s spokesperson Lucia Rizka said of the medication, which is manufactured by the ChemRar pharmaceutical group and the Russian Direct Investment [RDIF] agency.

Her statement comes after reports from RDIF and ChemRar that BPOM registered Avivafir, which is based on favipravir, a Japanese experimental antiviral drug that is used to treat flu symptoms. RDIF Director Kirill Dmitriev hailed BPOM’s decision.

Also read: Coronavirus: Why EU Lags Behind China and Russia in ASEAN Vaccine Diplomacy

“The Indonesian [medical authorities] have expressed their confidence in Avifavir, as they registered the medication without further clinical tests,” he said, as quoted by the Russia Beyond the Headlines [RBTH] media outlet last Tuesday.

“Avifavir has a very high efficiency [rate], as it can significantly reduce the [patient’s] recovery time. In doing so, it can ease the burden of medical facilities.”

RDIF and Chemrar’s Indonesian affiliate, the Pratapa Nirmala Fahrenheit pharmaceutical company reiterated Dmitriev. “BPOM has issued the emergency use authorization for Avirafir since March 17, 2021,” said Pratapa Nirmala Fahrenheit Marketing Director John Aman.

“Avirafir is the first favipiravir-based medication of its kind in the world to combat Covid-19. It is also the first Russian medicine that is authorized for use against Covid-19.”

Also read: AstraZeneca Vaccine Divides Devout Muslims in East Java, Indonesia

In its EUA, BPOM said Avifavir is designated for people from the ages of 18 and up “who are experiencing mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms. It is developed by the Chemical Diversity Research Institute in Khimki, the Russian Federation along with the Chemrar Group and RDIF. "

The agency added that Avifavir can only be given with a doctor’s prescription. BPOM noted that Chemrar Group and RDIF held clinical tests on 460 patients under good clinical practice guidelines, or international standard clinical tests on human subjects.

Russia has supplied Avifavir to 15 countries, including Indonesia, since June 2020. Moscow issued the medication, after clinical tests in 30 facilities throughout Russia between April and September 2020 showed efficacy rates of 80 percent or more.

Avifavir’s creators claimed that regular consumption of the medication can eliminate the Covid-19 virus in four days.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari | Editors: Icha Rastika, Bayu Galih)

Sources: 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/26/09575711/mengenal-avifavir-obat-covid-19-buatan-rusia-yang-dapat-izin-bpom?page=all#page2. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/26/11532311/avifavir-obat-covid-untuk-pasien-gejala-ringan-sedang-usia-di-atas-18-tahun.