News

08 October 2020

Parit Padang Global is ready to distribute the Covid-19 COVIFOR drug

Jakarta, 3 October 2020 - PT Parit Padang Global (PPG) officially signed a cooperation agreement with PT Amarox Pharma Global (Hetero Group), a producer of one of the Covid-19 COVIFOR (Remdesivir) drugs, in early October (2/10) , in Jakarta. Through this collaboration, PPG was officially appointed by Amarox to become the main distributor in distributing COVIFOR in Indonesia.

The signing of the cooperation agreement was performed by  Vice President Distribution Operation & Supply Chain Management of PT Parit Padang Global Pandy Harianto, Vice President Distribution Sales & Marketing of PT Parit Padang Global Edwin Vega Darma, and General Manager of PT Amarox Pharma Global Sandeep Sur. The cooperation agreement will last for the next three years.

Edwin explained, PPG had collaborated with Amarox for several years. “Our cooperation with Amarox has been going on for a long time, where we were entrusted with distributing several oncology medicines produced by Hetero India. Currently, there are 50 SKUs belonging to Hetero that PPG has distributed, "he said.

With PPG being trusted as the main distributor for COVIFOR, ample efforts are already being made. “As the main distributor, we will play a role in distributing and selling COVIFOR in Indonesia. Currently, PPG already has 25 branches in Indonesia. Through our branches, COVIFOR will reach all over Indonesia. In fact, we already have a special team that is responsible for distributing COVIFOR,” said Edwin, who explained that until early October, PPG had allocated COVIFOR in 90% of its branches throughout Indonesia.

Edwin admitted that the distribution of COVIFOR had to go through a number of mechanisms. One of them, COVIFOR is only distributed to Covid-19 referral hospitals, the Health Service, or agencies designated by the government. This is because COVIFOR is in the form of an ampoule (injection) which must be used directly under a medical professional's care.

Having trusted as the main distributor of COVIFOR, Edwin explained how proud PPG is to be selected as well as having the opportunity to play a role in combating Covid-19. Moreover, we are a distributor that has been providing integrated distribution services for almost 65 years in Indonesia, provide an end-to-end SCM (Supply Chain Management), and logistics services for various pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and consumer products. “If previously we had played a role in distributing drugs when H5N1 virus (avian influenza) hit Indonesia, so now that the global Covid-19 pandemic has infected the country, we also want to play a role for a healthier Indonesia by distributing COVIFOR."

Sandeep emphasized that PPG was chosen as the main distributor of COVIFOR in Indonesia because PPG is listed as the Top 3 distributor in Indonesia. "As the Top 3 distributors in Indonesia, PPG has the strength of the network, infrastructure, services and professionalism. This is what made us decide to choose PPG as the main distributor partner for COVIFOR,” he said.

By partnering with PPG, he hopes that COVIFOR can be distributed quickly throughout Indonesia. “We hope that hospitals or doctors can easily access COVIFOR. This is because COVIFOR is here in Indonesia to support BPJS and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in combating Covid-19,” he hoped.

COVIFOR is a Covid-19 drug produced in India in the form of an ampoule (injection) for emergencies purposes in Covid-19 patients for adults and adolescents (over 12 years of age) who weigh 40 kg or more with severe category for hospitalized patients. COVIFOR contains Remdesivir which can inhibit viral replication. Previously, Remdesivir has been used, among others, for the treatment of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus infections.

Sandeep acknowledged that Hetero was the first company to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval for Remdesivir from BPOM in Indonesia. COVIFOR is not only distributed in Indonesia, but has also been distributed to 126 countries around the world, such as Latin America, Asia, Africa, Russia, and many others.

"Even though COVIFOR has gone through clinical trials, we will carry out clinical trials specifically for Indonesia, as recommended by BPOM. We will start the COVIFOR clinical trial in Indonesia this October. This clinical trial will be conducted for the next three months on 25 people, "he concluded.