BPOM Receives WHO Listed Authority Status, Here Are the Effects on Indonesian Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness

Indonesia’s drug and food regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM), has been officially designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a WHO Listed Authority (WLA) for regulating medical products, particularly vaccines.

According to William Adi Teja, Deputy for Drug Supervision, Narcotics, Psychotropics, Precursors, and Addictive Substances at BPOM, despite having held the WLA status for only two months, numerous countries have already approached the agency. These nations, including Japan, Pakistan, and several African and Middle Eastern countries, are seeking to understand how BPOM achieved the WLA designation and how to implement similar efficiency measures in their own regulatory systems.

“They want to learn how to enter the WLA system and become efficient, just as BPOM has done,” Teja stated during a Health Forum hosted by CNBC Indonesia on Saturday, 28 February 2026.

Teja emphasised that BPOM continues to reform and strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical industry whilst enhancing consumer protection. This collaborative approach between BPOM as regulator and the pharmaceutical industry is expected to contribute significantly to the broader economy.

The pharmaceutical sector in Indonesia achieved 10 per cent growth last year, a figure that contributes meaningfully to overall national economic growth. With the WLA status, Teja expressed confidence that the sector’s growth trajectory will accelerate further. The agency anticipates the designation will facilitate facility expansion, increase investment flows, create employment opportunities, and encourage greater capital circulation within the sector.

Teja stated that BPOM hopes the WLA status will attract more than the current three major pharmaceutical companies to invest and operate in Indonesia. Additionally, the agency is particularly keen on fostering technology transfer, as BPOM regulations require imported medicines to undergo technology transfer arrangements, enabling domestic production within Indonesia. This approach aims to build local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity whilst maintaining regulatory oversight and quality standards.