AgroPages-Topramezone patent in China set to expire, which interests Chinese domestic companies-Agricultural news

Paul Zheng

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New Off-Patent/Generic Agrochemicals 2017-2022

According to the New Off-Patent/Generic Agrochemicals 2017-2022 , 26 kinds of patented pesticide active ingredients will expire beginning from 2017 up to 2022, including 13 herbicides, four insecticides, eight fungicides and one safener.

Among them, the Chinese patent for Topramezone of BASF will expire on January 8, 2018. This paper lays out a briefing on the situation for global registrations of Topramezone and its market status in China.

Topramezone is a pyrazolone herbicide developed by BASF, which is also an HPPD inhibitor, being effective for the control of weeds, which are resistant to glyphosate, triazines, ALS inhibitors and the ACCase inhibitors. Topramezone has a good control efficacy for corn grassy weed and broad-leaf grass worldwide.

Topramezone was registered for the first time in Canada in 2006 for application to post-emergence weed removal in cornfield, followed by releases to Latin America, North America, Japan and Germany. In 2009, BASF brought to the Chinese market its Topramezone with the trade name Arietta®.

As one of the outstanding HPPD herbicides, the sales for Topramezone have been growing year by year. In 2014, its global sales amounted to US$85 million. There is still great market potential for the future.

Topramezone is currently still within its patent protection, held by BASF. Its China patent, under the patent number ZL98802797.6 will expire on January 8, 2018. An assortment of all global Topramezone products reveals that a majority of the products currently on the market are single agent, with a small number of mixtures with dimethenamid-p. Most common products are SC, EC and AS formulations.

Major formulation product for Topramezone launched globally
Commercial name	Active ingredient	Company
Armenzon	29.7% topramezone	BASF
Armenzon Pro	56.25%dimethenamid-P+1.12%topramezone	BASF
Pylex	29.7%topramezone	BASF
Oasis	29.7%topramezone	BASF
Frequency	29.7%topramezone	BASF
Convey	29.33%topramezone	BASF
Arietta	336g/ltopramezone	BASF
Clio	336g/ltopramezone	BASF
Clio Super	538g/ldimethenamid-P+32g/ltopramezone	BASF
Clio Elite	538g/ldimethenamid-P+32g/ltopramezone	BASF
Arietta	336g/ltopramezone	BASF
Impact	336g/ltopramezone	AMVAC

Till date, there have been three registered Topramezone products in China, which are Topramezone technical 97 percent and Topramezone 30 percent SC of BASF, as well as the Topramezone 30 percent SC of Pilarquim (Shanghai), which is registered and valid until 2018.

Topramezone has attracted considerable interest from many Chinese pesticide manufacturers due to its outstanding cornfield weed control efficacy. With the expiration of the Topramezon patent, domestic enterprises have been making preparations for the production of the product. At the present time, 23 companies are working on field trials of Topramezone formulations. Their registered ingredient is mostly based on the single agent Topramezone, as well as mixtures with cornfield herbicides Atrazine and Nicosulfuron, which are mainly SC and OD formulations.

Topramezone product under field trail in China
Active ingredient	Formulation type	Applying company
30%topramezone	SC	Anhui Jiatiansen Agrochemical Co.,Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Anhui Jiuyi Agriculture Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Heilongjiang Lufengyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Qingdao Kingagroot Pesticide Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Zhejiang Zhongshan Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Shandong Dezhou Son Lome Biochemical Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Jilin Jinqiu Pesticide Co.,Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Shanxi Biogen CropScience Co.,Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Guangxi Tianyuan Bichemistry Co.,Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Henan Shicheng Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.
30%topramezone	SC	Weifang CYNDA Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	OF	Shandong Bio biotechnology Co., Ltd.
30%topramezone	OD	Shandong Binnong Technology Co., Ltd.
4%topramezone	OD	Hunan Dongyong Chemical Co., Ltd.
20%atrazine+3%topramezone	OD	Anhui Jiuyi Agriculture Co., Ltd.
20%atrazine+3%topramezone	OD	Henan Shicheng Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.
30%atrazine+3%topramezone	OD	Shandong Vanda Technology Co.,Ltd.
25%atrazine+2%topramezone	OD	Anhui Fengle Agrochemical Co., Ltd.
22%atrazine+3%topramezone	OD	Shandong Jinnonghua Chemistry Co., Ltd.
20%atrazine+2%topramezone	OD	Guangdong Haode Crop Technology Co., Ltd.
42%atrazine+1%topramezone	SC	Jiangxi Daziran Chemical Factory
28%atrazine+2%topramezone	SC	Qingdao Kingagroot Pesticide Co., Ltd.
15% popisochlor +25%atrazine+2% topramezone	SC	Hebei Saireed Chemical Co., Ltd.
4.5% ncosulfuron +24%atrazine+1.5% topramezone	OD	Shaanxi Sunger Road Bio-science Co., Ltd

There are 10 kinds of cornfield herbicides currently in use in China, which are quite limited: Atrazine, Nicosulfuron, Thifensulfuron, Alachlor, Acetochlor, Metolachlor, Propisochlor, Trifluralin, 2, 4-D and Metribuzin.

After applications for many years, control efficacy for some sealant herbicides, such as Acetochlor and Atrazine has declined, resulting in an increase of the resistant weed population. Additionally, the large-dosage use of the long residual herbicide Atrazine causes hidden danger. Under such a circumstance, it is imperative that a novel cornfield herbicide is needed for cornfield. Topramezone has a broad spectrum, high activity and good miscibility, while being safe to after reap crop, which enables it to become a new favorite product in the market.

To know more about Chinese pesticide registration status, please click China Pesticide Registration Watch.