Earlier this week, Malaria No More UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, brought together a panel of experts and political leaders to discuss the recently launched 2022 World Health Organisation (WHO) Malaria Report.
Andrew Mitchell (MP), Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom, opened the event, where he spoke about his advocacy for universal health coverage and the importance of vector control tools in the fight to end malaria. A panel discussion followed, with contributions from Dr Alastair Robb (contributor to the 2022 Malaria Report), Prof. Azra Ghani (Imperial College London), Serena Muki (Malaria No More Ambassador) and Catherine West MP. Key messages from the event are summarised in this twitter thread by Zero Malaria UK.
This week also, Baroness Liz Sugg addressed the UK House of Lords to highlight the findings of the 2022 WHO World Malaria Report and urged the government to stay committed to a thriving research and development pipeline. Watch the address via this link.
Image credit: Malaria No More UK.
How to make the most of VERV to encourage pesticide development, and prevent vector born diseases 1st February 2023The signing of the Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV) into US Law at the end of 2022 was a major step forward for vector-borne disease control.
Now, in a newly published article in Health Affairs, Prof. Jeff Moe (Duke University and IVCC consultant) and his co-authors discuss the next steps for the EPA, product developers, and Congress to make the VERV programme a success and save lives.
The VERV programme has been championed by IVCC following a policy proposal by Duke University.
Click this link to read the article.
Tech Update Winter 2023 31st January 2023Download the Tech Updates highlighting vector biology and control news, publications and resources.
Given the breadth of vector control-related literature, we are unable to include all relevant work. These updates are intended to focus primarily on Anopheles biology and a subset of control topics with global relevance. Any views expressed in the updates do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IVCC. In many cases, we directly quote sections of published work. Mention of trade names or commercial products is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by IVCC or its funders.
IVCC marks the passing of Colin Ruscoe 3rd January 2023It is with great sadness that IVCC marks the passing of Colin Ruscoe. Colin worked with IVCC from its inception in 2005, chairing the External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC), helping direct research and development programmes to discover and deliver new chemical products and surveillance systems for the elimination of Anopheles and Aedes mosquito vectors of malaria, Zika and dengue.
Nick Hamon, recently retired CEO of IVCC said: “We have so appreciated Colin’s role in helping IVCC and its partners bring new vector control products to market. Colin’s impact on global public health cannot be underestimated. As Chair of IVCC’s ESAC, Colin’s knowledge expertise and guidance has helped save thousands of lives. His role and impact has been positively heroic.”
IVCC would like to extend their deepest condolences to Colin’s family and friends. He will be sorely missed by many.
IVCC and Duke University welcome major new financial incentive for vector control product innovation 30th December 2022News Release
Date issued: 30 December 2022
In a major step forward for vector borne disease control, the Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV), championed by IVCC following a policy proposal by Duke University, has been signed into US Law. IVCC and Duke University began work on VERV in 2015.
VERV is modelled on the US Food and Drug Administration’s Priority Review Voucher program legislated in 2007 (Sec. 524 FDA Amendments Act), which offers a priority review of a second product as a reward for new treatments targeting selected diseases. The Vector Expedited Review Voucher offers registrants of vector control tools a similar financial incentive, a voucher, in reward for registration of novel public health insecticides that can combat malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
Nick Hamon, CEO of IVCC said: “Keeping the private sector engaged in the discovery and development of new technologies to combat malaria and neglected tropical diseases is essential. However, due to high development costs, the risk of market failure and the time it takes to bring a new product to market, incentives are limited. The Vector Expedited Review Voucher is a game changer. It will provide a financial incentive for public health insecticide development which hopefully will continue to secure and sustain product innovation into the future.”
The VERV rewards the manufacturer of a new public health insecticide with a voucher to receive an expedited registration review of a second, more profitable product. Getting the second product to market faster generates market value for the manufacturer which helps mitigate the investment losses typical in public health insecticide development. A registrant can also sell the awarded voucher.
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, rare paediatric disorders and, more recently, medical counter measures. The Vector Expedited Review Voucher 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 develops and implements the VERV programme to stimulate investment in new public health insecticides and products for the control of vector-borne diseases.
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For further information contact:
Chris Larkin, Director of Communications and Operations
+44 (0)7712 402498
Note to editors:
Further details about the Vector Expedited Review Voucher (VERV) are available on:
www.ivcc.com/vector-control/vector-expedited-review-voucher-verv/