Preserving the Impact
One of the keys to IVCC’s success over the past few years has been the bringing together of public and private expertise. IVCC’s Expert Scientific Advisory Committees (ESACs) have been a key element in our successful development of innovative vector control products over the past eight years. Each ESAC brings together scientists from across the globe to ensure our industrial partners are provided with guidance from conception to roll out, something our partners say has been crucial to applying their considerable skills towards developing new insecticides targeted at public health
The long process of developing new anti-malarial insecticides began (it feels now like the mists of time, but it was only about 8 years ago) with the production of a detailed description of the vector control product we were looking for. This technical description, called a Target Product Profile (TPP), lists all the essential and desirable characteristics of a product. For insecticides this will include public health attributes, ecological impact, fitness for purpose and costs. Effects on humans and the environment is central, and the new insecticides will be much better than has previously been available, partly because of the precise targeting.
The Public Health ESAC were responsible for drawing up the TPP for IVCC’s active ingredient project—a cornerstone of our mission. This TPP covered a wide range of requirements, from toxicity for humans and insects to end user requirements tailored for health products in developing countries.
But it doesn’t stop there—ESACs continually advise IVCC on new project submissions, project design, project continuance, termination and extension. However, their work doesn’t end there; they continue to provide a review of all current projects and product data to ensure we keep on target to deliver on our mission.
ESAC members are chosen for their professional skills and knowledge, developed over a lifetime of product development. Add this to the skills and expertise of our industrial partners, and their commercial experience and ‘muscle’, and you have the recipe for success that has brought us very close to achieving our initial objectives—the first new public health insecticides in over 30 years. That’s something to celebrate.
