New insecticidal active ingredient flubendiamide granted regulatory approval in major Asian markets

Bayer CropScience AG has been granted regulatory approval for its new insecticidal active ingredient flubendiamide in India. The company plans to launch the new insecticide under the brand name Fame® in 2007. The innovative active ingredient was also recently granted full regulatory approval in the Philippines and Pakistan, where it is marketed as Fenos® and Belt® respectively. Infestation with pests is a major problem in many Asian countries as a result of their climatic conditions. Insecticides therefore represent a significant economic factor for agriculture in the region. Bayer CropScience also expects regulatory approval to be granted for flubendiamide in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia and countries of the European Union in 2008.

“As a global market leader in the important insecticides market, we are delighted to be able to offer an innovative active ingredient with a novel mode of action. Flubendiamide will help to further rejuvenate our comprehensive range of products”, said Dr. Rüdiger Scheitza, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience and Head of Global Portfolio Management. “We believe that the dynamically growing Asian market offers outstanding opportunities for our company. As the number one in the Asian crop protection market, we want to further improve our prospects for growth in this important and dynamically developing region"

Flubendiamide is the third innovative active substance after tembotrione and pyrasulfotole from the company’s launch program which commenced in 2000 to be granted regulatory approval by the responsible authorities this year. Bayer CropScience is confident that, with the 26 new active ingredients scheduled to be launched in all indications by 2011, it will be able to reach its targeted peak sales potential of approximately € 2 billion.

Successful joint development by Bayer and Nihon Nohyaku

The active ingredient was jointly developed for global marketing by Bayer and Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd., Japan. It belongs to the chemical class of benzenedicarboxamides (BDCA) and can be used to combat caterpillar pests in cotton, fruit and vegetables, nuts, grapes, corn and rice. Flubendiamide exerts a reliable action against a broad spectrum of major pests. Application of flubendiamide to leaves causes the pest to stop feeding immediately, resulting in starvation of the larval or adult insect. Flubendiamide exhibits a fast onset of action, prolonged efficacy and strong rainfast characteristics.

Another benefit for farmers is that the mode of action of this new active ingredient means that it can also be used to combat pests that are resistant to certain conventional insecticides such as pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates and benzoylureas. Flubendiamide will be available both in a liquid formulation and as granules.

Bayer is a global research-based and growth-oriented enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 5.7 billion (2006), is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 17,900 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.newsroom.bayercropscience.com