Building Clinical Research Ecosystem in Indonesia: Equilab Participates as Featured Speaker in RSUD Dr. Soetomo Research Hub 2025

Equilab International recently took a role as a featured speaker at the RSUD Dr. Soetomo Research Hub 2025 event in Surabaya. The event held under the theme, “Build Hospital Reputation through Research.” The forum convened leading stakeholders from hospitals in East Java, the Ministry of Health (MoH), the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), researchers, contract research organizations (CROs), and the pharmaceutical industries. The core discussion focused on strategies for accelerating Indonesia’s clinical research ecosystem and strengthening the capability of hospitals to become globally recognized clinical trial sites.

“There is a strong connection between key considerations for site and country selection with the key functions of a clinical trial site. Sites are the engine of a trial, they must develop strategies to maximize patient recruitment, adhere to study protocol, and comply with all regulatory standards. By committing robustly to quality and operational timelines, we will decisively position Indonesia as a trusted, global destination for clinical trials,” said Mr. Ronal Simanjuntak – President Director of Equilab International – during his presentation.

The event also highlighted the regulatory improvement to boost clinical trial ecosystem in Indonesia. BPOM, as represented by Atti Ratnawiati, S.Si., Apt.,M.Epid. – Head of Clinical Trial and New Drug Development –, including plans to begin regulating First-in-Human (FIH) and early-phase studies, a crucial step for advanced drug development within the country. Concurrently, the MoH detailed significant regulatory reforms. These include improvements to the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) process to expedite specimen shipment for global clinical trials, and a planned reform of the National Health Research and Development Ethics Committee (KEPPKN) to streamline approvals for multi-center studies, as presented by the Head of MTA Committee, Prof. dr. Muhammad Nasrum Massi, PhD., Sp.MK(K) and the Manager of INA-CRC, dr. Dona Arlinda, M.Sc.

During the panel discussion, RSUD Dr. Soetomo shared its continued efforts to develop a research network through community-based trials, aiming to improve patient recruitment while also keep the quality and timeline of the study. “As a national referral center, our mission is not just patient care, but also driving drug discovery. This collaboration among stakeholders will strengthens our capacity to be a high-performing research hub, ensuring Indonesian patients gain earlier access to innovative treatments,” said DR. dr. Andy Darma, Sp.A(K) – Head of Research and Development of RSUD. Dr. Soetomo –.

Equilab International, in its role as a leading national CRO, is dedicated to strengthen Indonesia’s position in global clinical research. Through sustained partnerships with premier institutions, such as RSUD Dr. Soetomo and also the other hospitals throughout Indonesia, Equilab drives improvements in site quality and operational timelines. The CRO also helps in building the site capability to establish Indonesia as a competitive destination for global clinical trials.