At a press conference held on May 8, 2020, the COVID-19 Research Coordinator of Universitas Airlangga, Prof. Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih revealed that two new compounds had been successfully synthesized. Both compounds are undergoing a preclinical testing process.
“We have succeeded in getting the whole genome sequences from 6 types of Covid-19 viruses that infect Indonesian patients,” she added.
Prof. Nyoman also said that there were some other progress reports of COVID-19 research that UNAIR had conducted such as the successful ethical testing, cultures of vero cells, kidney cells, HSC, and NK cells.
“Ethical testing, vero cells, kidney cells, HSC, and NK cells cultures, have been successfully carried out. Then, the toxicity test has also been successfully obtained, ” she said.
“At the moment, combination stability, RT-PCR, multiplicity of infection analysis is being conducted,” she added.
Prof. Nyoman explained, from the analysis carried out, it was stated that until now there is no specific drug that could cure Covid-19 and no special vaccine has yet been found for the people of Indonesia.
Therefore, Prof. Nyoman and the team are also collaborating with some parties related to the handling of Covid-19. One such collaboration is with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). It was marked by a visit of BIN giving aid to UNAIR on Friday, May 8, 2020.
The collaboration between UNAIR and BIN was done to find three things. First, formulation of drug effectiveness and a combination of SARS Cov-2 drugs in Indonesia. Second, the synthesis of anti main protease compound -19 as OPB (New Developmental Drug). Third, the determination of Covid-19 Whole Genome Sequences that infects Indonesian patients.
BIN also brought some aids including 1 unit of AKTA GO GE, 2 units of CO2 Incubator, 1 unit of Seqstudio Squencer, 1 unit of Real Time PCR, 1 package of Covid-19 Reagent Set (600 samples), and 1 package of Plasticware / Primer (600 samples).