Professor David Ridley and other researchers at Duke University have proposed a new mechanism for stimulating insecticide development to prevent the spread of deadly tropical diseases. The system is based on their similar proposal that has been spurring drug development for those same diseases since 2007.
Insecticides used in bed nets and homes have prevented millions of deaths from malaria and other diseases. But while the population of disease-carrying insects resistant to current treatments has grown, no new class of insecticides have been developed in the last 40 years because they are not sufficiently profitable.
The vector expedited review voucher (VERV) proposal would offer faster – though no less scientifically rigorous – review for any novel class of insecticide for public health use. The company behind the new product would also gain expedited review for a second, more profitable product intended to protect crops – as a way to encourage large agrochemical companies to invest in developing less profitable insecticides.
Watch a video of Professor Ridley explaining their research.
Read more in “A Voucher System to Speed Review Could Promote a New Generation of Insecticides to Fight Vector-Borne Diseases” Health Affairs
David B. Ridley, Jeffrey L. Moe, and Nick Hamon. 2017. “A Voucher System to Speed Review Could Promote a New Generation of Insecticides to Fight Vector-Borne Diseases.” Health Affairs, 36(8): 1461-1468.