Centrient Pharma, Menjangan Sakti conduct workshop on sustainable manufacturing practices in Jakarta

Centrient Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with Menjangan Sakti, a trader of pharma raw materials in Indonesia, organised a workshop on ‘Sustainability Through Excellence in Manufacturing-2.0’ (STEM-2.0) in Jakarta. The workshop program included training on the importance of sustainability in manufacturing practices of antibiotics to stop the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), as well as a presentation of the advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies. More than 60 experts from the Manufacturing, R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, and Purchasing departments of Indonesian pharma companies participated in the event.

Dr Anurag S Rathore, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Delhi stated, “Some academicians have been working to develop innovative technological solutions to ensure the wastewater discharged into the environment has minimum antibiotic residue. Harmonised government and pharma industry efforts are needed to ensure the adoption of these tech solutions. Given the rapid pace at which the pharma sector is growing in Indonesia, the training of the industry representatives on sustainable manufacturing and waste management practices through this STEM workshop can help address the issue of AMR.” 

AMR has been declared as one of the Top 10 global health threats facing humanity by the World Health Organization. The Lancet reported that in 2019 over 4.95 million deaths were associated with AMR, of which 1.27 million were linked to AMR directly. Some of the main contributors to AMR include overprescribing of antibiotics and patients not finishing their treatments, over-use of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming, as well as environmental causes, including unsustainable wastewater management by pharma manufacturers. Effluents released during antibiotic manufacturing must be properly treated so that the antibiotic residues do not pollute the environment and further strengthen resistant bacteria.

Pramod Kaintura, Head Sales, APAC Region, Centrient Pharmaceuticals stated, “The discovery of antibiotics is the bedrock of modern medicine. The beginning of mass production of antibiotics contributed to increased life expectancy and improved quality of life. It is essential to safeguard these medicines for future generations before they are rendered ineffective due to AMR. Cross-sectoral actions are needed to tackle AMR. The STEM Workshops are an ideal platform to share our know-how with industry partners to tackle AMR collaboratively.”

Over the past years, Indonesia has made advancements in AMR containment by launching several initiatives, beginning with the National Action Plan on AMR (2017-2019) launched in 2017. The government also launched several policies to govern antibiotic use and joined the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) network to ensure comprehensive reporting of AMR data in the country. 

Jonathan Sudharta, Director, PT Menjangan Sakti stated, “AMR has several drivers across the human, animal, and environmental ecosystem. The interconnectivity between the ecosystem makes the One Health approach fundamental in tackling AMR, as recognised by Indonesia’s NAP-AMR. However, while the government has announced several initiatives on the human and animal front, such as the Guidelines on Antimicrobial Use, AMR Control Programme in Hospitals, and Classification of Fish Medicines, more pronounced efforts are needed to curtail the build-up of AMR in the environment. We hope the STEM workshops catalyse proactive regulatory actions on the environmental front because sustainable manufacturing can play a key role in mitigating AMR.”

While Indonesia’s NAP-AMR emphasises increasing investments in new antibiotics, diagnostic tools, and vaccines, increasing R&D for developing technologies for the sustainable manufacturing process is the need of the hour.