Indonesian Natural Product Formulations for Epilepsy: Strengthening Transnational Translational Pathways Through UK–Indonesia Collaboration

Epilepsy is a major but under-addressed public health challenge in Indonesia, with an estimated 1.7 million individuals living with the condition and persistent diagnostic and therapeutic inequities[1]. [1]Limited access to neurologists, high treatment gaps in rural areas, and reliance on imported antiepileptic drugs create substantial obstacles to equitable care. In parallel, Indonesia possesses a rich diversity of medicinal plants and a strong cultural tradition of herbal medicine use[1], but lacks the translational infrastructure necessary to transform promising natural products into clinically credible, safe, and accessible therapeutic candidates[3]. This presents a unique opportunity for UK-–Indonesia collaboration to build the scientific, regulatory, and translational capacity required to advance evidence-based plant-derived interventions for epilepsy. This ISPF networking project will establish a robust, multi-institutional partnership between Ulster University, Universitas Hasanuddin and University College London (UCL). Together, the partners will build the conceptual, regulatory and methodological foundations required for future research on plant-derived neurotherapeutics. The project is explicitly aligned to ISPF themes: Healthy People, Transformative Technologies, Animals and Plants, and Tomorrow’s Talent, and adheres fully to ODA requirements by concentrating the developmental benefits on Indonesia. This six-month initiative is designed as a high-value preparation and capacity-building phase, aimed at enabling major collaborative funding applications. It will generate the frameworks, harmonised methodologies, stakeholder alignment and strategic direction required for future translational activities. 1)Establishing harmonised early-translational pipelines: One major barrier facing Indonesian institutions is the absence of harmonised, internationally aligned workflows for early-stage natural product development. The project will build methodological coherence between Indonesia and internationally recognised UK institutions, reducing the fragmentation that currently inhibits translational progress, and co-create a set of shared SOP frameworks across UK and Indonesian partners, covering: a) strategic criteria for selecting and prioritising medicinal plant candidates for neurological indications; b) extraction-handling principles and stability considerations applicable to LMIC contexts; c) analytical methodologies standardisation identifying plant markers and plant analytical profile via hyphenated techniques; d) early-stage pre-formulation considerations for future translation; e) documentation and data governance structures required for regulatory alignment. 2) High-impact Indonesian multi-stakeholder workshop: A central activity is a major workshop hosted at Universitas Hasanuddin. This will convene: a) researchers from diverse Indonesian universities, b) neurologists and clinical decision-makers, c) industrial stakeholders (including Dexa Laboratories of Biomolecular Sciences), d) regulatory representatives, e) patient groups, f) UK partners from Ulster and UCL. This workshop will facilitate a landmark alignment of priorities across clinical, academic, regulatory and industrial sectors, an essential requirement for sustainable translational research. Sessions will include: -evaluation of priority Indonesian plant species; -translational barriers and regulatory expectations for neurological herbal products; -LMIC-suited formulation strategies; -mapping Indonesia’s long-term capability requirements; -structured early-career researcher development. The workshop will accelerate Indonesia’s progress toward self-reliant, evidence-based phytopharmaceutical development. 3. Bilateral exchange and UK expertise integration: A key added value of this project is the integration of world-leading UK pharmaceutical science, particularly through expert input from Prof. Abdul Basit (UCL), whose group is globally recognised for innovation in advanced drug delivery and 3D-printed oral dosage forms. This will significantly elevate the quality and credibility of Indonesia’s future translational strategy. During the UK visit, Indonesian researchers will engage in high-level observational and conceptual sessions at Ulster and UCL, covering: a)design principles for patient-appropriate oral delivery of plant-based candidates; b)regulatory considerations for moving natural extracts toward pharmaceutical-grade products; c)the evolving global landscape for personalised oral therapies; d)strategic approaches for building LMIC-appropriate formulation pathways. This exchange will directly strengthen Indonesia’s ability to conceptualise and plan translational steps that meet international standards. 4) Strong early-career researcher development: Indonesia faces a shortage of early-career researchers trained in analytical, regulatory and translational sciences. This project addresses that gap through: a)ECR roundtables, mentorship from Ulster and UCL experts, b) leadership opportunities within the roadmap development, c)targeted sessions on grant writing and international funding mechanisms. This aligns directly with the ISPF theme “Tomorrow’s Talentâ€, contributing to Indonesia’s long-term scientific capacity 5) A co-developed UK–Indonesia Translational Roadmap The project will culminate in a comprehensive, co-authored roadmap detailing: a)priority plant candidates for future study; b)harmonised methodologies; c)regulatory preconditions for Indonesian herbal products; d)potential LMIC-appropriate delivery formats; e)partnership structure and governance; f)staged plan for analytical, regulatory, and translational development; g)structures for future joint funding applications. This roadmap will position the consortium for submission of high-quality multi-year proposals to UKRI, NIHR Global Health, and/or future ISPF calls. References: [1]W. World Health Organization, Epilepsy, 7/02/2024 (2024). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/epilepsy. [2]G. Suryani, S. Yunita, K. Herlyani, C. Zhi-jien, Epilepsy and Behavior Attitudes toward epilepsy in Indonesia, Epilepsy Behav. 123 (2021) 108244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108244. [3]X. He, X. Chen, Y. Yang, Y. Xie, Y. Liu, Medicinal plants for epileptic seizures : Phytoconstituents, pharmacology and mechanisms revisited, J. Ethnopharmacol. 320 (2024) 117386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2023.117386.