Avient and IVCC accelerate formulation development of long-lasting insecticidal nets for malaria control
Avient is working with IVCC to accelerate the eradication of malaria and tackle insecticide resistance through the creation of a new masterbatch production laboratory in Guangzhou, China, where research and development of novel, active insecticide ingredients for long-lasting insecticidal treated nets (LLINs) will be undertaken.
The facility is expected to be fully operational this summer, and open to current and future innovation projects. It will provide a medium-scale platform for testing and developing masterbatch formulations with insecticides to speed up the process of bringing LLINs to the market.
Developing these formulations is imperative to eliminating malaria, as insecticide resistance is making the most widely used formulations, such as pyrethroids, increasingly ineffective. The new facility will also support scale-up for promising formulations.
Avient has the capabilities to optimise masterbatch formulations for LLINs to deliver ideal insecticide performance. This includes optimum bio-efficiency and controlled migration of the insecticide to the fibre surface – enough to kill a mosquito on contact.
Established in 2005 through a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, IVCC works with industry, funding partners, and researchers to develop new public health insecticides for use in LLINs, indoor residual spraying (IRS), and other vector control tools.
Nick Hamon, CEO of IVCC, said: “Partnering with Avient is an important step in our product portfolio development work. Improving our capabilities to develop and deliver new tools to help address the growing threat of insecticide resistance is critical if we are to achieve our mission.” Michaël Adam, global technology director at Avient, added: “Avient’s collaboration with IVCC will enable LLINs manufacturers to transform their visions into groundbreaking products that improve quality of life in a meaningful way. Working towards a solution that saves lives and improves public health aligns with Avient’s sustainability goals and commitment to our communities, both local and global.”