PT Meiji to open new drug facility<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
PT Meiji Indonesia Pharmaceutical Industries, a subsidiary of
\nJapan's Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd., will officially open on Thursday
\na new US$10 million production facility, which will help the
\npharmaceutical company to strengthen its operations in Asia.<\/p>\n
President of Meiji Indonesia Akihiro Yoshioka said on
\nWednesday that the new facility would help the company achieve a
\n50 percent increase in exports this year and a 70 percent
\nincrease in 2003.<\/p>\n
"We will continue to increase our production capacity in
\nIndonesia to meet rising demand in Asian countries," he said.<\/p>\n
The new facility, which is located in Pasuruan, East Java,
\nwill begin production of antibiotics and drugs this week. The
\nplant is expected to produce some 24 million vials annually.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health, Achmad Sujudi, is scheduled to officially
\nopen the new facility on Thursday.<\/p>\n
"We are confident that with this new facility we'll be able to
\nmeet the rising demand in Asian markets," Akihiro said.<\/p>\n
He added that the company's headquarters were also planning to
\nrelocate its raw material production site outside Japan.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia, so far, has been our top priority for the
\nrelocation plan," Akihiro told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Meiji Indonesia currently imports almost all its raw materials
\nfrom Japan.<\/p>\n
Meiji Indonesia started operating in the country in 1974 and
\nhas been exporting its pharmaceutical products to Japan since
\n1994.<\/p>\n
Data from the company showed that about 37 percent of its
\nproducts went to the export market in 1999, 39 percent in 2000
\nand about 48 percent last year.<\/p>\n
The main export destinations are Japan, Malaysia, Singapore,
\nThailand and China.<\/p>\n
He added the company was also planning to export drugs to
\nLatin America, Middle Eastern countries and the United States.<\/p>\n
Meiji Indonesia also supplied penicillin-based antibiotic
\nproducts to Takeda Chemical Industry in Japan.<\/p>\n
According to Akihiro, the average level of spending on drug
\nproducts in Indonesia, with its population of over 200 million,
\nwas still very low at about $1 billion per year, compared with
\nBrazil's $7 billion, with a population of about 160 million.<\/p>\n
"That's why we are now focusing on exporting drug products
\nfrom Indonesia to other Asian countries," he said.<\/p>\n
However, Akihiro expressed confidence that the domestic market
\nfor drugs would continue to grow in upcoming years.<\/p>\n
Meiji Seika controls an 83.8 percent stake in Meiji Indonesia,
\nwhile 7 percent is held by Nomura Trading Co. Ltd., 5 percent by
\nMalayan Pharmaceutical Factory SDN Berhad, and 3.5 percent by
\nlocal businessman Tjipto Pusposuharto.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pt-meiji-to-open-new-drug-facility-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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