Holista registers significant Malaysia breakthrough with biopesticide

Australian Securities Exchange-listed Holista CollTech Limited (“Holista”), a biotech research company, and its partner EntoGenex Industries have registered with Malaysian authorities MOUSTICIDE™, the first approval by any country for the bio-pesticide which starves mosquito larvae to death without harming humans.

MOUSTICIDE™ combines Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor (TMOF), a protein molecule found in mosquitoes whose genes are first inserted into yeast cells (Pichia pastoris) to increase their mass, with a widely used bio-pesticide, Bacillus thuringienis israelensis (“Bti”).

The yeast cells containing TMOF, which disrupts the ability of larvae to digest, are killed in very high temperatures before being applied to water bodies to facilitate control of mosquito breeding at relatively low costs.

HRH Tunku Naquiyuddin, EntoGenex’s Chairman, said MOUSTICIDE™ is a major innovation in bio-pesticide which combines safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness to significantly lower mosquitoes’ breeding rates.

Holista and EntoGenex are exploring collaborations with leading philanthropic organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carter Trust, Rockefeller Foundation and Grameen Foundation to facilitate worldwide adoption of MOUSTICIDE™ to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya.

More than 700 million people are affected by mosquito-borne diseases globally, including South America, Africa – where 90% of the continent is affected by malaria – and parts of Asia, where dengue is rife.

Dengue is the main mosquito-borne disease in Malaysia, whose Ministry of Health disclosed that 12,030 cases, including 19 fatalities in the first 6 months of this year, had been reported as at 30 July 2011.

Dr. Rajendran Marnickavasagar, CEO of Holista which has operations in Australia and Malaysia, said a recent field trial conducted in Kuala Lumpur’s dengue “hot spot” by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health using MOUSTICIDE™ has proven to be successful. Holista is in discussions with the ministry for widespread implementation of the bio-pesticide.