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Press ReleasesUniversity Research Leads to DEET Alternative, Naturally
Media Contact: Sept. 21, 2005
To combat biting insects, nearly one third of Americans will use products containing DEET this year. However, as technology evolves and DEET has come under public scrutiny, its position as the most accepted insect repellent is being challenged. While DEET has been deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency for adults, recent re-assessments have resulted in the removal of child safety claims on products containing DEET. EPA states, “The scientific data on DEET do not support product label claims of child safety based on the percentage of active ingredient.” DEET has also come under pressure due to research conducted at Duke University Medical Center indicating that frequent and prolonged use can cause neurological effects and behavioral changes in rats. In May 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published an article addressing public concerns and the need for better methods of controlling insects stating, “What is greatly needed is a natural repellent, which is as effective as DEET.” Thanks to research by entomologist Dr. Michael Roe, an all-natural alternative with proven efficacy should be available just in time for the 2006 bug season. Dr. Roe currently serves as a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Entomology at North Carolina State University. His patented research describes how a naturally occurring substance derived from wild tomato plants can be used to effectively repel mosquitoes, ticks and other arthropods. Dr. Roe’s research responds to public concern: "Whether right or wrong, the general public is becoming more and more concerned about the safety of DEET products. Because of this concern they may be less likely to use repellents to protect themselves from insect bites. My goal was to provide them with an all natural, effective and safe alternative.” The advent of Dr. Roe’s technology is timely, as awareness of insect borne diseases including West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease has generated interest in bringing improved consumer products to market. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 9862 human cases of West Nile Virus and 21,273 human cases of Lyme Disease were reported in the United States in 2003. Certain mosquito borne diseases including the West Nile and Dengue viruses are classified as category A and B threats to Home Land Security (IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, Jan/Feb 2004, pp 136-141). In response to consumer concern, new repellent products are finding their way to market. Picaridin is a new pesticide approved by EPA in 2005 and used in Cutter Advanced. According to The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, published in June 2005: “The 7% picaridin formulation currently sold in the US might be as effective in repelling mosquitoes as low concentrations of DEET, but no data are available.” Dr. Michael Roe’s tomato-based compound offers another option to the consumer: an all-natural, effective, long-lasting repellent proven to work against mosquitoes, ticks and other arthropods. In order to move Dr. Roe’s research from the laboratory to the marketplace, NC State’s Office of Technology Transfer licensed the technology to HOMS, LLC, a North Carolina-based biotech company. Dr. Donna Cookmeyer, Director of NC State’s technology transfer program states, “It is our mission to transfer academic discoveries to the market to impact the greater public good. The university’s relationship with companies like HOMS helps us to get the right research into the hands of the right people at the right time.” The Office of Technology Transfer worked directly with HOMS representatives to manage the contractual and legal support necessary to move the technology from Dr. Roe’s laboratory to HOMS’ product development pipeline. After acquiring rights to use the compound in commercial applications, HOMS combined Dr. Roe’s technology with their proprietary emulsion technology to develop an all-natural insect repellent that will be registered with EPA under the name, BioUD and used in HOMS products such as Bite Blocker. According to a scientific evaluation of insect repellents and insect control products performed by Arcturus Testing in July of 2005, BioUD outperformed all non-DEET products ever tested by the company on mosquitoes. In U.S. testing conducted over the past year, BioUD tested 100% repellent against mosquitoes after application up to 3 hours and 99% effective up to 4.5 hours in forest and marsh conditions. BioUD outperformed Off Botanicals and DEET in testing against mosquitoes at six hours post application. HOMS reports that BioUD outperformed DEET in repelling American dog ticks, a carrier of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, at 2.5 hours post application. In a paper published by EPA titled, Environmental Stewardship of Pharmaceuticals: The Green Pharmacy, Dr. Christian G. Daughton, Chief of the Environmental Chemistry Branch, discusses both the human and environmental benefits of naturally occurring personal care products, citing the undecanone compound in BioUD as an example of a powerful insect repellent that “could reduce the environmental introduction of the widely used and ubiquitous DEET.” “There are no other natural products that come close to the efficacy of this compound,” Allen Jones, Product Manager for HOMS, states. “BioUD is non-toxic, non-flammable, waterproof, and won’t harm plastics and other materials. The repellent in BioUD has been used for years as a food flavoring agent approved by the FDA.” In contrast to alcohol-based repellents such as Off and Cutter aerosols, BioUD is formulated under HOMS patent-pending water-based emulsion rendering it non-flammable. This water-based formula is also key to extending the efficacy duration of BioUD. The repellent in BioUD has been classified by the US EPA as a biological compound rather than a chemical meaning it is labeled as “naturally occurring” and having a “non-toxic mode of action.” The repellent is on course to move through the EPA registration process in the spring of 2006, making BioUD commercially available by next summer. HOMS is in discussion with corporate buyers to have the new product on shelves for the 2006 insect season. In addition to use as a personal insect repellent for adults and children, BioUD has wide-ranging potential applications such as insect control for pets, livestock, and organic gardening. Dr. Roe remains involved in the commercialization process of his discovery and foresees future applications: “There is also work ongoing to develop misting systems with BioUD for area wide control in the yard and developing repellent clothing. There is a great deal of activity right now on this.” Efficacy data and more information available at: www.bioud.com |
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If you and your family headed to the beach, the woods, or the lake this summer, your medicine cabinet likely contains bug spray. And that bug spray likely contains DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) – a chemical used in most insect-repellents on the market today such as Off and Cutter’s Skinsations.