Indonesia's drug authority taps Singapore links to boost capacity

  The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has engaged with stakeholders in Singapore to explore ways to strengthen domestic regulations and support innovation in the health sector through deeper international cooperation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, BPOM head Taruna Ikrar said he had recently visited Singapore as part of efforts to enhance Indonesia’s position in the global health framework, following the agency’s recognition as a WHO-Listed Authority (WLA) in December 2025.

He presented a public lecture titled “Elevating Indonesia as a Trusted Global Authority through WLA” at the National University of Singapore (NUS), describing the recognition as the result of Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen science-based regulations and global partnerships.

The lecture was delivered at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS.

During a meeting with Lim Chien Wei John, executive director of the Duke-NUS Centre of Regulatory Excellence, Ikrar explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in regulatory capacity, particularly in vaccine regulation.

“This meeting served as an opportunity to renew our partnership and align strategic priorities going forward,” he said.

The BPOM chief also visited the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s national research body that leads efforts in advancing science, technology, and innovation.

During the visit, he took part in discussions on the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP), noting that BPOM had issued a dedicated regulation on ATMP last year.

The agency also highlighted its efforts to strengthen governance of experimental drugs to accelerate the development of innovative medicines.

Through the visit, BPOM aims to reinforce its commitment to building an adaptive and transparent regulatory system grounded in scientific evidence.

The series of engagements also reflects the agency’s intent to expand collaboration with international partners in addressing global health challenges.