Saltigo produces insect pheromone for modern crop protection

LANXESS subsidiary manufactures for Provivi active ingredient targeting the European grapevine moth 

Leverkusen, 23 May 2022 – LANXESS Corporation, through its Saltigo business unit, has signed a contract with Provivi Inc. for another production campaign of the insect pheromone, Pheron™ E7-E/Z9-12Ac. Saltigo is a leading custom manufacturer for the crop protection industry.  Provivi worked closely with LANXESS and Saltigo personnel to complete the technical transfer, optimization, and scale-up.  

Provivi,® Inc., a leading provider of crop protection solutions using pheromone technology as the foundation of an integrated and sustainable pest management system, updates its global production for Pheron™ E7-E/Z9-12Ac, the active ingredient targeting Lobesia botrana, also known as the European grapevine moth.  

In 2021, the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) granted regulatory approval for Provivi’s insect pheromone product Pheron™ E7-E/Z9-12Ac, produced via an innovative and patent-pending process. In response to high demand, production was notably scaled up to tens of metric tons in volume at Saltigo’s German facility. 

"We are excited about this collaboration's accelerated growth," said Bill Evanko, Provivi VP of Engineering. "Saltigo's talented group of chemists, engineers, and operations personnel produced Pheron™ E7-E/Z9-12Ac to meet Provivi's stringent EU registration specifications. We want to thank everyone involved from LANXESS for the successful project and results that they have delivered."  

"The Lobesia pheromone is an important product in our active ingredient portfolio, which is why the 2021 campaign was specifically critical," said Sanaz Imani, Director of Supply Chain and Procurement Operations at Provivi. "We are pleased about the partnership with Saltigo from a technical perspective and look forward to continuing to work together in making this product a true commercial success."  

"We expect pheromones to play an important role in future crop protection, and we are proud to produce the active ingredient for a pioneer in that field," said Christoph Schaffrath, Saltigo Head of Marketing and Sales. "The metathesis route developed by Provivi is an innovative technology to make those molecules efficiently available at scale."  

The development of low-cost pheromones allows Provivi to simultaneously target key pests in row crops and tree fruits, nuts, and vine (TNV), to which Lobesia botrana belongs. The active ingredients Provivi is producing have led to a reduction in crop damage resulting in a reduction in the use of pesticides for the final consumer product. 

Provivi is developing the Pheron® family of safe, effective, and economical pheromone-based mating disruption products, thereby offering an alternative technology as a new foundation for pest and resistance management in crop production. Provivi's patented production method enables a step-change in the cost of manufacturing pheromones, allowing the use of this proven tool in high-acreage crops such as corn, rice, and soy.  

For more information about Provivi, please visit www.provivi.com.

Attractive for many industries

Saltigo's comprehensive range of services includes process development and optimization, as well as registration and documentation support. This makes the LANXESS subsidiary attractive as an exclusive synthesis partner for companies of different sizes and from a wide range of industries. Saltigo not only produces for the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, but also works on products and specialty chemicals for companies in the plastics, personal care and energy sectors, for example.

The company, which specializes in the exclusive synthesis of active chemical ingredients and intermediates, has a state-of-the-art plant base at its integrated sites in Leverkusen and Dormagen. A broad technology portfolio, high expertise in process development and many years of industry experience in the agrochemical, pharmaceutical and fine chemical sectors are key success factors.

Detailed information about the comprehensive range of services offered by Saltigo in the area of exclusive synthesis can be found online at https://saltigo.com/.

Saltigo GmbH is one of the leading providers in the field of custom synthesis. The company, which is part of the specialty chemicals company LANXESS, belongs to the Consumer Protection segment, which recorded sales of EUR 1.515 billion in fiscal year 2021. Saltigo, which has its corporate headquarters in Leverkusen and production facilities in Leverkusen and Dormagen, employs around 1,200 people worldwide.

Forward-Looking Statements 
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements based on the current assumptions and forecasts by the management of LANXESS AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development, or performance of the company to differ materially from the assessments presented here. The company accepts no obligation to update such forward-looking statements or to adjust them in line with future events or developments.

Information for editors:
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