The government is providing funding for precision medicine through the state budget. In addition, grants and cooperation with several domestic and foreign donors have been secured to back the initiative.
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DEONISIA ARLINTA, HIDAYAT SALAM, WILLY MEDI CHRISTIAN NABABAN
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KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI
Service activities at the Precision Medicine polyclinic at Yarsi Hospital, Cempaka Putih, Jakarta, Friday (13/1/2023). Precision medicine is believed to be the future of public health services.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Precision medicine research and development have great potential to improve the quality of public health. For this reason, the sustainability of these projectsshould be guaranteed. The involvement of all relevant parties, including the private sector, is needed through a properly integrated system.
Permanent medical biology professor at the University of Indonesia’s Medical School, Asmarinah, said in Jakarta on Tuesday (17/1/2023) that research on precision medicine in Indonesia was very important. With its ethnic diversity, the genetic variants of the nation could be very heterogenous.
“Genetic data in Indonesia are awaited both at home and abroad. While serving as a source of science, the data can be used as the basis for the development of better therapy,” she indicated.
In precision medicine, gene therapy is not only effective and efficient, but also avoids side effects in patients. By identifying the genetic factors of a patient, the risks of diseases and the person’s response to drugs can be ascertained and unnecessary treatment can be recognized.
In spite of its great potential, continued Asmarinah, precision medicine research and development was a long-term endeavor.
The most important aspect of the initiative is its implementation.
Therefore, the sustainability of precision medicine development is highly important. Through the Biomedical and Genome Science Initiative (BGSi), the government has realized that the development of precision medicine is needed for public health going forward, anticipating the country’s public health advancement.
“However, the most important aspect of the initiative is its implementation. Its development not only requires instruments but also human resources. Besides this, genomic sequencing devices need expensive reagents,” said Asmarinah.
Cooperation between different parties is also needed to support precision medicine development. The government is expected to clearly regulate the integration of genome-based health service as part of precision medicine. In this way, the collection of genomic data of Indonesian society is integrated and data overlaps are avoided.
According to the Health Ministry’s Pharmacy and Health Equipment Director General Rizka Andalusia, the BGSi demanded cooperation between all pertinent circles such as clinicians and healthcare personnel, universities, researchers, start-ups and industrialists.
“The BGSi as a cooperation catalyst supports the involvement of all parties. The cooperation initiated by the BGSi is inclusive rather than exclusive. It will involve the best human resources in Indonesia as well as members of the diaspora,” she said.
The government is providing funding for precision medicine through the state budget. In addition, grants and cooperation with several domestic and foreign donors have been secured to back the initiative.
Private sector’s role
A number of private laboratories and health-service providers have begun to offer a precision health service, but it is mostly still limited to individual needs.
Among them is Nusantics. Corporate communication specialist of Nusantics, Theresa S. Tamba, said microbiota profile analysis services could be provided for the public. Based on analysis results, patients can find out the lifestyles suited to their genetic profiles and disease risks.
The same service is being developed by Prodia’s laboratory. Business and Marketing director of PT Prodia Widyahusada, Indriyanti Rafi Sukmawati, said the examinations offered could determine various health requirements such as those related to disease risks, screening, diagnosis and pharmacogenomics.
This can also be used for quality promotion of lifestyles, such as those related to nutrigenomics, beauty and sports. DNA and hereditary genetic examinations can also be conducted.
Asmarinah said that the private sector should be involved in precision medicine development for public health, as although today the service offered was limited to individuals, it had the potential to be utilized for public health interventions.
“The government is the regulator to manage the development. Various data can be used to achieve public health promotion. The safety of patients’ data also needs to be guaranteed. The government should be present to regulate the ecosystem of precision medicine development,” she said.
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