Japanese cosmetic firm Kao Corp. and pharmaceutical maker Earth Corp. said Thursday they will jointly sell mosquito eradication sprays in Thailand in July to help the fight against insect-borne infectious diseases in Southeast Asia.
The new product “Ars Mos Shooter” contains a substance developed by Kao that makes mosquitoes unable to fly by saturating their wings and bodies, while Earth has been active in Thailand for about 40 years with a high market share in insect control.
As the spray does not include chemically manufactured insecticidal components, it can be used even with children around, the companies said.
Kao Corp. President Yoshihiro Hasebe (R) and Earth Corp. President Katsunori Kawabata hold a new mosquito eradication spray at a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 29, 2024. (Kyodo)
Dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitos and has been expanding in Southeast Asia amid global warming, mainly infects children and could cause deaths in serious cases, they said.
“With the hope to swiftly save as many people’s lives as possible, we joined hands with Earth, which has a strong reach and brand (in Thailand),” Kao President Yoshihiro Hasebe told a joint press conference.
Earth President Katsunori Kawabata said the company is aiming to achieve the largest share in the Thai market of insect control products by 2025 from its current No. 2 position, and that the new spray “will become the engine” in that pursuit.
The product, priced at 140 bahts ($4) per 370 millimeter-bottle, will be manufactured at Kao’s plant in Thailand and sold by Earth. The companies said they are also considering selling it in Japan and other countries in the future.
Source : https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/02/fb9214766191-japan-firms-kao-earth-tie-up-to-sell-mosquito-spray-in-thailand.html
