Friday, July 16, 2010

Keep pesky mosquitoes at bay with a wipe

Mosquitoe
Keeping pesky mosquitoes at bay is now possible with a just a wipe of a tissue costing only Rs.3.

The new technology, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been in use by the military for the past six years as a spray.

In January this year, Jyothy Laboratories, with the backing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, brought over the commercial rights of the technology from the DRDO.

Gwalior-based DRDO scientists had developed a new molecule - diethyl phenyl acetamide (DEPA) - paving the way for a non-toxic, easy to use cosmetic product to keep mosquitoes away.

"I always launch all my new products in my state only," M.P. Ramachandran, chairman of Jyothy Laboratories, told reporters here on Thursday. "Hence I decided to offer our new product Maxo-Military in gel form and in tissue type," he added.

Earlier, the product was launched by Kerala Health Minister P.K.Sreemathi.

A similar product, available in the market, is effective only for two hours, but the addition of the DEPA technology prolongs its protection time.

A tube of gel costs Rs.36 while a 'mosquito tissue' can be bought for Rs.3.

"Our products have been approved by the Drug Controller of India and it is treated as a cosmetic product and the approval from the WHO also has come," added S. Radhakrishnan, who led the team from the DRDO.

Radhakrishnan pointed out that they handed over the new molecule to the private sector so that the benefit could be passed on to the civilian society.

Jyothy Laboratories, which began in a humble way in 1983 as a proprietary concern by Ramachandran, now has a turnover of over Rs.790 crore, selling 80 products ranging from the humble washing soap to liquid fabric whitener.

"We are now the official launderers of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games," said Ramachandran.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Life/Health-Fitness/Health/Keep-pesky-mosquitoes-at-bay-with-a-wipe/articleshow/6175473.cms

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