Etana Partners with CanSino, Walvax, and Abogen to Advance Innovative Vaccine Development in Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia, November 13, 2022—PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia (Etana) signed cooperation agreements with three global biopharmaceutical companies from China: CanSino Biologics Inc., Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co., Ltd. The signing ceremony took place during the B20 Summit and was witnessed by Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, and Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health.

As a key ancillary event of the G20 framework, the B20 Summit serves as an important platform for the global business community to participate in global economic governance and promote world economic growth. Nathan Tirtana, Founder and CEO of Etana, stated, “We hope to leverage the signing cooperation at this B20 Summit to help achieve the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s objectives, ensuring the equitable distribution of vaccine, pharmaceutical, and medical device production among countries, particularly developing nations. Furthermore, Etana is committed to supporting the Indonesian government in building national autonomy and resilience in the health sector.”

The agreements signed this time include: an agreement between Etana and CanSino Biologics Inc. regarding the construction of facilities for inhaled tuberculosis vaccines, meningitis vaccines, and viral vector platforms; an agreement between Etana and Yunnan Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd. concerning the development of PCV13, PCV15, and HPV2 vaccines; and an agreement between Etana and Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co., Ltd. on the research and development of mRNA therapies (including COVID-19 vaccines, dengue fever vaccines, and oncology products).

Nathan Tirtana, Founder and CEO of Etana, signed agreements with Wang Hongyi, Vice President of CanSino Biologics Inc.; Dong Shaozhong, Vice President of Yuxi Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; and Mo Shuying, Vice President of Public Relations at Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co., Ltd. Hong Tan, Managing Director of Legend Capital, and Qi Fei, Executive Director, attended and witnessed the signing ceremony.

Legend Capital began seeking investment and cooperation opportunities in emerging markets such as Southeast Asia in 2019. In 2020, it led Etana’s Series A financing round, becoming one of the company’s earliest institutional investors. Post-investment, Legend Capital leveraged its advantages in the healthcare ecosystem to provide a range of value-added services in areas including corporate strategy, business partnerships, and subsequent fundraising. Notably, it played an active role in facilitating strategic collaborations between Etana and other companies within Legend’s ecosystem, such as Innovent Biologics and Abogen Biosciences. Currently, Etana has engaged in discussions with more than ten Chinese biopharmaceutical companies regarding potential partnerships, aiming to introduce medications that are scarce in Indonesia, such as monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment, COVID-19 and other vaccines, and antiviral drugs.

Hong Tan, Managing Director at Legend CapitalAs a leading enterprise in Indonesia’s biopharmaceutical sector, Etana has accumulated numerous successful cases of introducing overseas products for local registration, localized manufacturing, and commercialization. Since entering the vaccine industry in 2022, Etana has become Indonesia’s second domestic vaccine manufacturer, possessing substantial growth potential. The newly established strategic partnerships between Etana and three prominent Chinese vaccine companies hold significant importance for the company’s future development and mark another milestone in cross-border cooperation between China’s pharmaceutical industry and ASEAN nations. Legend Capital is optimistic about Etana’s core capabilities in local industrial translation, which have created a high competitive barrier in Southeast Asia’s nascent biopharmaceutical market. Legend Capital will continue to explore investment opportunities in emerging pharmaceutical markets, actively facilitate pathways for Chinese-made high-end biologics to enter these emerging markets, and assist domestic pharmaceutical companies with global expansion needs in achieving successful international deployment."  

Etana

Founded in 2014, ETANA is a leading biopharmaceutical company in Indonesia, dedicated to the research and development, manufacturing, and sales of biopharmaceutical products for the Southeast Asian (ASEAN) market. Adhering to the philosophy of providing patients with high-quality, affordable innovative medicines, ETANA has established the most advanced local production facilities that comply with international standards and Indonesian FDA regulations. These facilities have obtained Halal certification from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), a authoritative body in Indonesia. Deeply engaged in the fields of oncology and vaccines, ETANA has built an integrated system for the R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization of antibodies, mRNA, and other biological therapies. Through active collaborations to expand its product pipeline and increase production capacity, ETANA aims to become the leading biopharmaceutical enterprise in Southeast Asia.

ETANA’s management team comprises professionals with international educational backgrounds and extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. The company has secured investment and collaborative support from international institutional investors and leading biopharmaceutical companies. ETANA is committed to supporting the Indonesian government’s industrial development plans and meeting the region’s growing market demand by locally producing high-quality, innovative, and affordable biopharmaceutical products.