VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for two antiviral drugs, favipiravir, and remdesivir, to treat COVID-19 patients.

The BPOM also granted permits in September to several pharmaceutical companies to produce the drugs.

Data from the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister show that the government had previously given contractors the go-ahead to import COVID-19 medication such as remdesivir, favipiravir, oseltamivir, and lopinavir-ritonavir, all of which will be distributed directly to hospitals treating coronavirus patients.

BPOM head Penny K Lukito expects that the emergency use authorization issuance will help accelerate access to those drugs for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

Hopefully, the drugs will help improve COVID-19 recovery rates and bring down the mortality rate from the pandemic.

Penny Lukito further said she hoped doctors and health workers would cooperate in monitoring the efficacy and safety of those drugs under pharmacovigilance. (JakartaPost)