Swedish Consulate – PT Kalbe Farma Tbk (KLBF) is allocating a significant amount of capital expenditure (capex) amidst a highly competitive environment in the health sector. Kalbe Farma’s Director, Kartika Setiabudy, highlighted the numerous opportunities that pharmaceutical companies can explore. She mentioned that KLBF continues to pursue various initiatives, both independently and through strategic partnerships.
“Independently, we are making a variety of investments. This can be observed from our capital expenditure, where we are allocating funds for new products as well as expanding our pharmaceutical capacity,” Kartika stated during a public expose on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
Kartika noted that there are several ongoing production line expansions, particularly in the area of cancer medications. Additionally, investments are being made in the Cyclotron project or radiopharmaceuticals, which is claimed to be the first facility of its kind in Indonesia.
“We will be able to produce Cyclotron, which can be use by hospitals equipped with PET machines for early detection scans for cancer patients,” explained Kartika.
Moreover, Kalbe is also engaging in collaborations with several strategic partners. This year, Kartika announced two significant partnerships.
“One of them is in Thailand with a local distributor to develop or penetrate Kalbe’s specialty products, particularly oncology, into the Thai market,” she revealed.
Kalbe Farma Strategic Partnership from China
Additionally, KLBF has enter into a strategic partnership with a business partner from China to enhance their capability in producing raw materials for pharmaceuticals, which are still largely imported.
“Currently, Indonesia relies heavily on imports for pharmaceutical raw materials. However, some companies in Indonesia, including Kalbe, have started initiatives to produce these raw materials locally,” she added.
Previously, PT Kalbe Farma Tbk (KLBF) identified an opportunity to enhance the company’s capabilities in the manufacturing sector, particularly in medical devices. This is especially relevant following government directives for Indonesian companies to increase the domestic content level (TKDN) in their products.
Kalbe Farma’s Director, Kartika Setiabudy, mentioned that KLBF has historically focused on selling and marketing imported medical devices rather than its own products.
“We have initiated several projects in the medical device sector. Our goal is to shift from primarily importing and marketing medical devices to increasing our domestic manufacturing capabilities,” she stated during a public expose on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
KLBF Developing Several Projects
Kartika mentioned that Kalbe is developing several projects related to medical devices, including both consumables and durable medical equipment.
“For instance, we now have a factory for producing surgical sutures domestically, which is already operational,” she disclosed.
Kalbe Farma is pioneering the assembly of various medical devices, with the aim of eventually manufacturing these products within Indonesia.
“These areas are particularly intriguing for Kalbe to explore further. However, we also remain committed to our other businesses, such as consumer health products and nutritional products,” Kartika emphasized.
“We believe that in the long term, as purchasing power increases, as well as public education and health awareness, these sectors will continue to show positive growth,” she added.
In terms of Kalbe Farma’s growth this year and moving forward, Kartika sees the pharmaceutical sector as a key focus area for the company. This is particularly true after the government, through the Ministry of Health, initiated a transformation in the health sector.
“For Kalbe, as a company in the health sector, pharmaceuticals remain one of our key growth drivers, both for this year and in the medium to long term,” Kartika concluded.
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