Press release Vestergaard: World Health Organization's Vector Control Advisory Group supports Permanet® 3.0 Long-Lasting insecticidal bed net

Switzerland, October 27 -- The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Vector Control Advisory Group (VCAG) published its second annual VCAG report today which includes evaluation of the supporting evidence for Vestergaard’s product claim for PermaNet® 3.0. The report states that “The manufacturers have been very careful to make a relatively modest claim that can be supported by the combined evidence from multiple studies in many areas of pyrethroid resistance”.

 

Vestergaard’s product claim for its combination net, PermaNet® 3.0 is: “Relative  to  pyrethroid–only LLINs [long-lasting insecticidal nets],  PermaNet®  3.0  has  increased  efficacy  against malaria vectors  with  cytochrome   P450 - based  metabolic  pyrethroid  resistance, even  if  combined with kdr.”

 

In May 2012 the WHO released its Global Plan for Insecticide resistance Management (GPIRM). Specific issues mentioned in the GPIRM include: Concern with the degree to which insecticide resistance reduces the efficacy of an intervention, and at the extreme possibility that it will induce full control failure. The report refers to evidence of metabolic resistance leading to control failure (South Africa in 2010) and states that it is a widely accepted hypothesis that metabolic resistance is a stronger resistance mechanism and may have greater operational impact.

 

The newly released WHO report noted regarding PermaNet® 3.0, that “As a first in class there is significant knowledge about how to (and how not to) undertake field evaluation of a product aimed primarily at pyrethroid-resistant vector populations.” The report concluded that PermaNet® 3.0 “would need to be implemented with resistance monitoring that assessed the underlying mechanisms of resistance.”

 

In addition to WHO’s Vector Control Advisory Group’s overall support to the claim, modeling indicates that PermaNet® 3.0 is more cost effective than standard pyrethroid-only LLINs in areas with a high impact of pyrethroid resistance, despite a higher unit price.

 

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/1w8Ova2

 

PermaNet® 3.0 was developed to address the urgent need for tools with increased efficacy against insecticide resistant malaria vectors. According to the GPIRM, this emerging resistance has been spreading rapidly, and today has been reported in 64 countries. It is of particular concern since pyrethroids are currently the only class of insecticide approved for use in LLINs. GPIRM further notes that, at current coverage levels, if pyrethroids were to lose most of their efficacy, more than 55% of the benefits of vector control would be lost, leading to approximately 120,000 deaths not averted annually.

 

Rapid increase in pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles vectors (source: www.IRmapper.com)

 

About Vestergaard
Vestergaard is an international company dedicated to improving the health of vulnerable people with game-changing solutions that contribute to a healthier, more sustainable planet. Vestergaard is the largest producer of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets. More than one billion PermaNet® bed nets have been distributed, contributing to the reduction in deaths from malaria by more than one third. Breakthrough solutions also include award-winning LifeStraw® water filter. Additional company initiatives focus on fighting HIV/AIDS and neglected tropical diseases, mitigating climate change and enhancing food security. Vestergaard is headquartered in Switzerland and has offices around the world.