STRENGTHENING RESEARCH COLLABORATION, INDONESIA LAUNCHES AN MRNA-BASED DENGUE VACCINE PROTOTYPE USING A LOCAL DENGUE VIRUS STRAIN

Jakarta, 8 July 2026 - Indonesia has once again taken an important step toward strengthening its self-reliance in health, with the launch of a Tetravalent mRNA-Based Dengue Vaccine Prototype developed using the preM-E gene from an Indonesian strain of the dengue virus. The prototype is the result of a research collaboration between Universitas Indonesia, Tsinghua University, and PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia (Etana), with funding from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), support from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as well as regulatory guidance from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) of the Republic of Indonesia.

The launch of this prototype marks an important milestone in the implementation of the strategic cooperation between Indonesia and China in the fields of vaccine research, genomics, and health biotechnology, a partnership built since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People’s Republic of China in 2022 on the establishment of the Indonesia–China Joint Research and Development Center on Vaccine and Genomics. This collaboration is part of a broader effort to strengthen research capacity, technology transfer, and the development of health innovation in support of the national health system transformation.

The Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said that the collaboration between Indonesia and China is part of the larger national health transformation strategy to strengthen research, innovation, and biotechnology development capacity. He explained that the complexity of the dengue virus demands new innovation. Advances in mRNA technology now allow scientists to create vaccines that are safer and able to provide balanced protection against all four dengue serotypes, while reducing the risk of disease severity.

“Dengue is a complex disease with four distinct serotypes and carries a risk of disease worsening due to an imperfect immune response (ADE). For that reason, mRNA technology innovation is crucial to designing a vaccine that is safer, more precise, and able to deliver balanced protection against all serotypes of the virus,” said Minister Budi at the launch of the Dengue Vaccine Prototype at the Ministry of Health office, on Wednesday (8/7).

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) remains one of the public health challenges in Indonesia. According to Ministry of Health data, by mid-2025 there were 67,030 recorded dengue cases with 297 deaths. As a tropical country where all four dengue virus serotypes circulate, Indonesia needs innovation that is grounded in scientific research and that accounts for the characteristics of the viruses circulating domestically.

Responding to this need, Prof. Dra. Beti Ernawati Dewi, Ph.D., together with a research team from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, developed a dengue vaccine prototype based on mRNA technology using an Indonesian strain of the dengue virus. The research, carried out at the Infectious Disease and Immunology Research Center (IDIRC), IMERI FKUI, combines the latest generation of mRNA technology, artificial intelligence-based vaccine engineering, tetravalent protection against all four dengue serotypes, and fusion loop engineering designed to minimize the risk of antibody dependent enhancement.

The project’s Principal Investigator, Prof. Dra. Beti Ernawati Dewi, Ph.D., said the development of this vaccine stems from a commitment to achieving Indonesia’s self-reliance in vaccine development and to supporting efforts to reduce dengue-related deaths toward the Zero Dengue Death 2030 target.

“Every year, dengue still causes high rates of illness and death in Indonesia. Through the development of this vaccine, we want to be part of the solution by delivering a vaccine designed around the characteristics of the dengue virus circulating in Indonesia. Together with the entire research team and our collaboration partners, we are committed to continuing to develop this innovation as a tangible contribution to achieving the Zero Dengue Death 2030 target,” said Prof. Beti.

This achievement is the culmination of years of scientific work. The research journey covered national epidemiological studies, specimen collection from various regions across Indonesia, dengue virus characterization, bioinformatics analysis, mRNA vaccine design, laboratory optimization, and preclinical evaluation. Involving Master’s and Doctoral students in Biomedical Sciences at FKUI under Prof. Beti’s guidance, the next stage will focus on optimizing antigen expression, the delivery system, antigenicity testing, and preclinical trials as important steps before advancing to the next phase of development in line with applicable scientific and regulatory standards.

The Rector of Universitas Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, affirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening translational research capable of bridging research findings with the needs of society.

“Through collaboration with Etana, Tsinghua University, BRIN, and various other strategic partners, Universitas Indonesia hopes this research can become a foundation for the development of globally competitive health innovation,” said Prof. Heri Hermansyah.

This vaccine prototype was developed using Etana’s mRNA technology platform, which began to be built and strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the effort to build national capacity in developing next-generation vaccines. Through collaboration with Universitas Indonesia, Tsinghua University, and BRIN, along with funding support from LPDP, this research integrates academic capability, basic research, technology development, and the translation of research results into biomedical innovation that is expected to benefit the Indonesian public in the future.

Etana’s President Director, Nathan Tirtana, said the mRNA platform built since the COVID-19 pandemic serves as an important foundation for developing the next generation of vaccine innovation.

“By leveraging the mRNA platform we have developed and using an Indonesian strain of the dengue virus, we hope this collaboration can continue through to the clinical trial stage in Indonesia in accordance with regulatory requirements. This is a concrete step in supporting the strengthening of vaccine self-reliance and the national biotechnology industry,” said Nathan Tirtana.

The prototype launched today is a research output and is not yet a vaccine ready for public use. LPDP and Etana will continue to support the funding of this research through the preclinical stage in its third year via the Productive Innovative Research (RISPRO) program, and if it meets all scientific and regulatory requirements, it is expected to progress toward clinical trials in Indonesia.

The launch of this prototype marks the beginning of a long journey toward the development of an mRNA-based dengue vaccine in Indonesia. Through synergy among universities, research institutions, industry, regulators, international partners, and the government, Indonesia hopes to strengthen the national research and innovation ecosystem, accelerate self-reliance in vaccine development, and contribute to improving health resilience at both the national and global levels.

About Etana

Established in 2014, Etana is an Indonesian biopharmaceutical company that researches, manufactures and markets biological therapies for the Southeast Asian market. With a mission to serve patients by providing high quality, affordable, and innovative therapies, the company has built state-of-the-art local production facility that meet international and Indonesian FDA standards. The facility are able to produce biological therapy with halal certification from the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI). Etana aspires to become the leading biopharmaceutical company in the ASEAN region through aggressive expansion in production capacity and product development, with a primary focus on oncology and vaccine products.

Etana is led by a local management team who come from various international and domestic educational backgrounds and have strong experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and are supported by a team of international investors and leading biopharmaceutical companies. Etana aims to provide innovative yet affordable therapies through local production, to support Indonesian government programs and larger market demands. Etana is currently a leading biotech company in Indonesia committed to the research and manufacture of monoclonal antibodies, mRNAs and other biological platforms. For more information on Etana, visit: www.id.etanabiotech.com