Animal Pharm 11/2/1616 Feb 2016 11:42
Even though the insecticides and antiparasitics space is the most competitive area of the animal health industry, North Carolina-based firm TyraTech believes it can carve out a significant market share. Animal Pharm Editor Joseph Harvey met the company's chief executive Dr Bruno Jactel to get the lowdown on the growing demand for non-toxic insecticides.
While TyraTech previously focused on the human health market since its inception in 2004, the company is now starting to enter the animal health sector.
Last month, the firm signed an agreement with leading US animal health distribution firm MWI Animal Health for its nature-derived PureScience insecticides range in the US.
The PureScience product line is designed to provide non-toxic, highly effective and safe insect control in livestock and food production animals. It is effective and fast-acting against all life stages of insects.
Crucially, the products kill insect eggs and do not require repeat usage due to their mode of action, thus saving farm labor costs.
Dr Bruno Jactel told Animal Pharm it took 10 years for TyraTech to develop its technology and prove its efficacy. However, the company achieved a landmark in 2014 when it launched pesticide-free head lice solutions for children in the US and the UK.
The Vamousse range has gained good sales traction via marketing deals with major retailers such as Walmart, CVS and Walgreens in the US, and Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury's in the UK.
"We hope this success will translate to other markets," explained Dr Jactel. "We have demonstrated the technology works and we think this will be a growth platform, specifically for food animals."
Dr Jactel said TyraTech's portfolio will be the "next frontier" of insecticides for food animals. He said the PureScience range is being developed to meet unmet insecticide needs – such as northern fowl mites and red mite control in chickens – as well as to capitalize on a consumer trend to environmentally-friendly animal treatments.
The Morrisville-headquartered firm has made its first PureScience sales in the US via the MWI partnership. Dr Jactel said TyraTech is aiming to secure similar distribution deals in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
To support its expansion into animal health, TyraTech secured around £3.2 million ($4.6 million) funding in November 2015.
Change of tactics
When he joined the company in 2013 from Merial, the TyraTech board made the decision to transform TyraTech from a company which was looking to out-license its products into a fully-integrated entity.
"We wanted to focus more on customer needs with our own production, testing and regulatory team," he explained. "There is more value in having your business closer to the customers. It is a way to validate our technology and generate margin, which helps us invest in R&D and helps us innovate."
While TyraTech's Vamousse line bagged the firm's