Innovation in Resistance Management: VECTRON™ T500, a new vector control product, is prequalified by The World Health Organization (WHO)

2023.03.15

Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc.

Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. (Tokyo; President & CEO: OZAWA Satoshi) today announce that their Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) for malaria control, VECTRON™ T500, has been prequalified by the WHO^*1).

Mosquitoes in Bugesera district, Rwanda.
Photographed by Mitsui Chemicals Agro.

IRS village trial in Lagos, Nigeria.
Photographed by IVCC

VECTRON™ T500 is a new IRS product containing TENEBENAL™, the world’s first meta-diamide active ingredient (IRAC Group 30) developed by Mitsui Chemicals Agro which has a different mode of action from existing vector control products.

VECTRON™ T500 will support the rotation of insecticides in line with best practice insecticide resistance management, which is critical to preserve the long-term efficacy of vector control tools. VECTRON™ T500 has outstanding efficacy against malaria vector mosquitoes including strains and populations resistant to pyrethroids and some other insecticides. It works on a variety of types of wall surfaces, including mud, and shows long residual efficacy.

VECTRON™ T500 is non-repellent, odorless and stainless formulation with low mammalian acute toxicity, and is supplied in easy-to-handle 50g aluminum sachets.

Mitsui Chemicals Agro will launch VECTRON™ T500 in sub-Saharan African countries from 2023 in line with locally required conditions of use.

OZAWA says: “Mitsui Chemicals Agro is an R&D driven chemical company, that has been developing malaria vector control products to save human lives. Our mission is to provide solutions to health challenges through the development and deployment of innovative, high-quality products. We are committed to malaria eradication and are excited about the launch of VECTRON™ T500. We appreciate the support of all our stakeholders and partners in reaching this important milestone.”

Justin McBeath CEO of IVCC added: “IVCC was established with a mission to work with partners, such as Mitsui Chemicals Agro, to accelerate the availability of new public health insecticides which will help address the significant threat of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. We are delighted to have supported Mitsui Chemicals Agro on their achievement of the PQ-listing of this important breakthrough product which represents another significant milestone in the fight against malaria.”

Notes to Editors

Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc.

Mitsui Chemicals Agro is an R&D driven company that is a global provider of solutions by high-quality products and services in the agrochemicals field. The company has a history of about 100 years beginning with the manufacture and release of the first synthetic agrochemical in Japan. Mitsui Chemicals Agro has been contributing human health and comfortable life through PPM (Professional Pest Management) business, providing unique active ingredients and formulated products. Mitsui Chemicals Agro is 100% subsidiary of Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo: 4183, ISIN: JP3888300005) which has an annual sale of 1,612 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2022.

IVCC

IVCC is the only Product Development Partnership (PDP) working in vector control. IVCC was established in 2005, through an initial $50 million grant to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and has since provided ongoing support for IVCC activities. As a registered charity in the UK, IVCC is also funded by UK Aid, USAID and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to work with stakeholders to facilitate the development of novel and improved public health insecticides and formulations to combat the rapidly growing problem of insecticide resistance. In addition, IVCC is also funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund to implement catalytic market access projects, such as NgenIRS and the New Nets Project which support the rapid and scaled deployment of innovative vector control interventions. IVCC brings together partners from industry, the public sector and academia to create new solutions to prevent disease transmission. By focusing resources and targeting practical scientific solutions we accelerate the process from innovation to impact.