Avient and IVCC Accelerate Formulation Development of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets for Malaria Control

April 23, 2021

POMMERLOCH, Luxembourg – April 23, 2021 – According to the World Health Organization, every year there are more than 200 million new cases of malaria, with children under 5 the most vulnerable group affected by the disease. Avient is working together with IVCC, a not-for-profit Product Development Partnership (PDP) based in the UK, to step up the global fight to eradicate malaria and tackle insecticide resistance. Avient and IVCC are creating a new masterbatch production laboratory in Guangzhou, China to support research and development of novel, active insecticide ingredients for long-lasting insecticidal treated nets (LLINs). 

Photo courtesy of: Disease Control Technologies, LLC

According to the World Health Organization, children under 5 are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria, accounting for 67% (274,000) of all malaria deaths worldwide in 2019.

The pioneering new 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 those formulations that prove promising.

With extensive global expertise in groundbreaking material solutions to support malaria control, Avient has the capabilities to optimize masterbatch formulations for LLINs to deliver ideal insecticide performance. This includes optimum bio-efficiency and controlled migration of the insecticide to the fiber surface -- just enough to kill any 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. Its mission is to facilitate innovative approaches to preventing vector-borne diseases globally and to tackle insecticide resistance.

Nick Hamon, CEO of IVCC, comments: “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 of delivering a toolbox of effective interventions to eradicate malaria. We are extremely grateful to all our funding partners who have helped us achieve this important milestone.” 

Avient, a leading sustainable solutions provider for synthetic fiber applications, enables enhanced fiber performance and coloration for a more agile and environmentally friendly textile industry.

“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,” said Michael Adam, global technology director at Avient. “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.” 
 

About IVCC
IVCC is a not-for-profit Product Development Partnership (PDP) working in vector control. It was established in 2005, through a $50 million grant to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and is a registered charity in the UK. IVCC works with stakeholders to facilitate the development of novel and improved public health insecticides and formulations to combat the rapidly growing problem of insecticide resistance. IVCC brings together partners from industry, the public sector and academia to create new solutions to prevent disease transmission. IVCC is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UKaid, USAID, Unitaid, The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), The Global Fund and Australia Aid.

About Avient
Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), with 2020 pro forma revenues of $3.8 billion, provides specialized and sustainable material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Examples include:

•    Barrier technologies that preserve the shelf-life and quality of food, beverages, medicine and other perishable goods through high-performance materials that require less plastic
•    Light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood, which can improve fuel efficiency in all modes of transportation
•    Breakthrough technologies that minimize wastewater and improve the recyclability of materials and packaging across a spectrum of end uses

Avient employs approximately 8,400 associates and is certified ACC Responsible Care®, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and certified Great Place to Work®.  For more information, visit www.avient.com.
 
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Media contact
Michelle Maniscalco
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications
Avient Corporation
michelle.maniscalco@avient.com