Discovery to Development: Insecticides for Malaria Vector Control

Abstract

This report provides an outline of a program for the discovery of new public health insecticides for malaria vector control. The status of malaria vector control is first reviewed in terms of the chemical, physical chemical, and biochemical properties of the current WHOPES-recommended and approved vector control agents. This review provides a basis for a discussion on the critical need for discovery and development of multiple new chemical malaria vector control agents with novel and diverse modes of action. The Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) New Active Ingredient Target Product Profile (TPP) describes the essential attributes for a successful new malaria vector control agent and then serves as the basis for development of a discovery cascade. The cascade addresses these attributes experimentally at each stage of the discovery process – from design and assembly of an appropriate collection of chemicals for screening, through development of testing protocols to sort candidates, and into the detailed profiling of advanced pre-development candidates against TPP requirements. In addition, this program defines a staged development system to provide intermediate guidance to the insecticide explorer regarding the progress of their discovery program against the ultimate product goal.