The Environmental Protection Agency has registered a new active ingredient known as nootkatone, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for use in insect repellent.
The move brings nootkatone, considered a biopesticide, an insect repellent derived from natural ingredients, one step closer to inclusion in a consumer insecticide. Evolva, a Swiss biotech company that has been partnering with CDC on nootkatone’s development, is aiming to partner with leading pest control companies to develop a brand name insect repellent using the ingredient, according to a CDC news release Monday.
The CDC estimates products using nootkatone could be commercially available as early as 2022.
“Providing new alternatives to existing bite-prevention methods paves the way to solving one of the biggest challenges in preventing vector-borne diseases — preventing bites,” said Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, in a statement.
Nootkatone is found in small quantities in Alaskan yellow cedar trees and in grapefruit skin, according to the CDC and Evolva, and it is already widely used in the fragrance industry: The ingredient produces the characteristic grapefruit scent.
Any company that wants to develop a product using nootkatone must submit a registration for the EPA to review.
“In many areas of the United States, mosquitoes have become resistant to currently available pesticides,” said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, the EPA’s top chemical safety official. “A new active ingredient in our toolbox will help vector-control programs.”
