IVCC was delighted to welcome a delegation from the Labour Party, including Kim Johnson MP, Paula Barker MP, and Dr Zubir Ahmed a Labour PPC to Liverpool to meet representatives from IVCC and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).

Accompanied by Astrid Bonfield, CEO of Malaria No More UK and Anyika Onuora, Olympic athlete and Malaria No More UK ambassador and staff from both LSTM and IVCC, the Labour Party delegation heard about the innovative vector control pipeline that IVCC is developing. For example, the impact of IVCC’s long held strategic aim to bring new active ingredients (AIs) to the insecticide-treated net (ITN) market was highlighted by the evidence and policy endorsement of BASF’s Interceptor® G2.

The group also heard about evidence developed on the efficacy of outdoor tools by Project Bite Interruption Toward Elimination (BITE) and Newly Adapted Tools Network Against vector-borne disease Transmission (NATNAT) has enhanced the evidence base for these new product categories, through the Indo-Pacific Initiative (IPI.

These, and other success storied, showcased the importance of collaborative working and how the commitment of our partners from industry, academia, the public sector, and advocacy, make life-saving vector control possible.

The guests also visited the Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment (LITE) which supports the testing of insecticide-based products for commercial partners against insecticide-resistant colonies.  LITE maintains a range of insecticide susceptible and resistant colonies of mosquitoes and provides a range of approaches for insecticide efficacy testing. The guests closed the day with a visit to LSTM’s venom unit which houses the largest and most diverse collection of tropical venomous snakes in the UK and leads pioneering research into a universal anti-venom and improvements in the efficacy, affordability and safety of snakebite treatments.

Photo caption: The delegation poses at the entrance of the LSTM buildings.

From left to right: David Lalloo (LSTM Director), Paula Barker MP, Dr Zubir Ahmed, Astrid Bonfield (Malaria No More UK CEO), Anyika Onuora, Professor Martin James Donnelly (Head of Vector Biology Department, LSTM), Justin McBeath (IVCC CEO) and Kim Johnson MP.

Credit: LSTM/ Alejandra Cardona-Mayorga

The Vector Expedited Review Voucher Program offers registrants of vector control tools a financial incentive, a voucher, in reward for registration of novel public health insecticides that can combat vectors of malaria and other diseases.

In a major step forward for vector-borne disease control, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the establishment of the regulation for a Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV) Program. The notice, issued on Thursday 18^th of December 2023, includes the eligibility criteria and processes regarding how to apply and qualify for a voucher under the VERV Program.

The VERV rewards the registrant of a new public health insecticide with a voucher to receive an expedited registration review of a second, potentially more profitable product. Getting the second product to market faster generates value for the manufacturer which helps mitigate the investment costs typical in public health insecticide development. A registrant can also sell the awarded voucher.

Justin McBeath, CEO of IVCC and advocate for establishment of the VERV program said: “The Vector Expedited Review Voucher is a significant step forward. Keeping industry engaged in the discovery and development of new technologies to combat vectors of malaria and neglected tropical diseases is essential. IVCC welcomes the publication of VERV eligibility criteria, which brings clear guidance for industry partners and stakeholders wanting to benefit from this incentive. The Program, as explained with the newly issued EPA guidance, will provide an additional financial incentive for public health insecticide development, and help to sustain product innovation into the future.”

The establishment of the program has been championed by IVCC following a policy proposal by Duke University. It was signed into US Law in December 2022. IVCC and Duke University began work on VERV in 2015.

VERV is modelled on the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Priority Review Voucher program legislated in 2007 (Sec. 524 FDA Amendments Act), which offers a priority review of a second pharmaceutical product as a reward for new treatments targeting selected diseases.

Jeffrey Moe, Adjunct Faculty of the Duke Global Health Institute, a co-author along with other Duke faculty proposing the PRV programme and the new VERV added: “PRV has had a positive impact on the development of treatments with limited profitability for neglected tropical diseases. The VERV programme can, like PRV, stimulate the development of innovative vector control solutions to help us better control, and hopefully eradicate, diseases such as malaria.”

IVCC, Duke University and stakeholders will continue to work with the US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as it implements the VERV programme to stimulate investment in new public health insecticides and products for the control of vector-borne diseases.

–ends–

For further information contact:

Chris Larkin, Director of Communications and Operations

Christopher.larkin@ivcc.com

+44 (0)7712 402498

Note to editors:

Further details about the Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV) are available at:

www.ivcc.com/vector-control/vector-expedited-review-voucher-verv/

www.vectorvoucher.info

At a series of events in late September and early October, Malaria No More UK brought together leading scientists, innovators and policymakers to celebrate the work and role of science and innovation in the global fight against malaria.

First, IVCC attended a networking reception at this year’s Conservative Party Conference (Manchester, 1st to 4th October 2023). During the event, IVCC engaged in conversations with Andrew Mitchell (MP), Minister of State for Development and Africa, and Astrid Bonfield, CEO of Malaria No More UK. IVCC emphasized the critical importance of vector control innovation and product development partnerships. These collaborations are essential in addressing the emerging threat of insecticide resistance, which is reducing the efficacy of established tools.

The following week, IVCC CEO Justin MacBeath participated in roundtable event discussion the future of global health. Against the backdrop of the Labour Party Conference (Liverpool, 8^th to 11^th October) Malaria No More UK convened Labour MPs, Labour candidates, academics, scientists, and industry representatives. Justin highlighted the crucial role of Product Development Partnerships in creating new vector control tools and ensuring fair access for vulnerable populations.

It was followed by Global Health Networking Reception, hosted by STOPAIDS and Malaria No More UK. Virendra Sharma (MP) opened the event, alongside Astrid Bonfield who showcased the Finish the Job campaign: urging decision makers to commit to ending malaria in our lifetimes. Anyika Onoura, Team BG World & Olympic medallist, shared her experience of falling ill with malaria ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics and emphasized the need for ongoing investment to end malaria.

IVCC CEO, Justin MacBeath at the Malaria No More UK Labour Party Conference breakfast roundtable. Image credit: Malaria No More UK.

From left to right: Catherine West (MP), Anyika Onoura and Virendra Sharma (MP) at the Global Health Networking Reception. Image credit: Malaria No More UK.

Between November 20^th and 24^th 2023, IVCC supported a statistical workshop for our collaborating African research institutes, to enhance statistical knowledge relating to vector control product trials. The workshop was hosted at the Ifakara Health Institute in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

The aim of the workshop was to transfer best practice on the design of good laboratory practice (GLP studies) and the analysis of data generated in these studies. Specific focus was on meeting the reporting requirements of the WHO Prequalification Unit, Vector Control Product Assessment Team (WHO PQT/VCP) and following the latest guidelines on vector control product evaluations from WHO.

Participants were introduced to the development of a data management and statistical analysis plan, the use of statistics in experimental design and data analysis required by WHO for evaluations of insecticide-treated net (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) products. Participants also took part in practical training on the conduct of tests, analysis and reporting of the data generated.

Other topics covered included: data management for meta-analysis, descriptive statistics, regression analysis, non-inferiority, and equivalence studies, calculating sample sizes, and crafting high-quality study reports.

The workshop facilitators included John Bradley (LSHTM), Geraldine Foster (WHO Prequalification Team), Ummi Kibondo (IHI), Frank Mechan (LSTM and I2I), Sarah Moore (IHI), Olukayode Odufuwa (IHI) and Graham Small (IVCC).

Participants were wide-ranging: CISM (Mozambique); CREC/LSHTM (Benin); CRID (Cameroon); CSRS and IPR VCPEC (Côte d’Ivoire); IRSS (Burkina Faso); KCMUCo-PAMVERC, IHI, NIMR Amani Research Centre and NIMR Mwanza (Tanzania); and Malaria Alert Centre (Malawi).
The workshop was further supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in enabling access to the funding for this workshop. We especially thank Terri O’Halloran (LSHTM), Rose Philipo (IHI) and Jameel Bharmal (IVCC) for all their support in making this workshop a success.

Image credit: Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Tanzania.

Authors: Graham Small and Janneke Snetselaar

Progress against malaria continues to stall, according to the 2023 World Malaria Report, published today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite the efforts of malaria-endemic countries and their partners, the world is worse off now than before the COVID pandemic both in terms of number of malaria cases and deaths.

The combination of limited resources, challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance, socioeconomic constraints, humanitarian crises, and climate-driven extreme weather events creates a challenging landscape for malaria elimination. If current trajectories continue, the goal of reducing malaria cases to 6.0 cases per 1000 population by 2030 will be missed by 89%.

The WHO report emphasises the importance of developing more efficacious tools to accelerate progress toward the global malaria targets. Interrupting the transmission cycle to reduce the spread of malaria is key to that aim.

At IVCC, in partnership with our stakeholders, we are committed to delivering a sustainable toolbox of vector control solutions that address the evolving challenges in vector control and malaria elimination.

Insecticide-treated nets continue to be the primary vector control tool used in most endemic countries. Over 254 million nets were distributed in 2022, up by 34 million compared to 2021.

A longstanding collaboration between BASF and IVCC to deliver a next generation active ingredient treated net formulation has been an important step in the fight against insecticide resistant mosquitoes.

Interceptor® G2, combines a pyrethroid (alphacypermethrin) with a new-to-public-health active ingredient, a pyrrole (chlorfenapyr), which represents a novel mode of action in vector control. In March 2023, the WHO strongly recommended the deployment of such nets in areas where mosquitoes have become resistant to pyrethroids.

This milestone is testament to the importance of product development partnerships to deliver high-impact, cost-effective prevention tools, adapted to the needs of endemic countries.

Despite the success of interventions such as the Interceptor® G2, global investment in overall malaria research and product development dropped by US$ 603 million in 2022 – its lowest recorded level in the past 15 years, and down by over 10% compared with 2021.

Climate change is also having a dramatic impact on malaria transmission and burden. The effects are seen in the gradual extension of the transmission range and seasonality of malaria, and an increase in the number of extreme weather events.

IVCC recognises the need for innovative tools to reach the most vulnerable populations especially in settings where ITNs and traditional indoor residual spraying (IRS) for fixed structures might not be practical.

We are working with partners to accelerate the availability of solutions that address these challenges, such as new tools which address outdoor biting or outdoor transmission.

The funding gap between the amount invested in malaria control and elimination continues to widen. With a shortfall of UD$ 3.7 billion in 2022, funding availability to support innovation, roll out of existing tools and the cost of procurement and delivery is increasingly uncertain.

This scenario, coupled with a global economy seeing ever-increasing costs for raw materials and logistics, means IVCC remains committed to exploring innovative strategies to expand the availability of cost-effective life-saving vector control tools. IVCC recognises the need for greater emphasis and recognition of country input into this ambition and makes sure that the considerations of malaria programmes are incorporated in all aspects of product development and distribution.

IVCC believes that it is only through partnerships, which take into account local needs, that vector control implementation can be expanded beyond the scope of donor-supported programmes and lead to the establishment of sustainable capacity.

The World Malaria Report, published annually, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of trends in malaria control and elimination across the globe. This year’s report includes, for the first time, a dedicated chapter focused on the intersection between climate change and malaria.

Find out more in this year’s World Malaria Report.