Qcide®
Qcide® is being developed as a new, environmentally friendly treatment for household and agricultural pests. Qcide® is based on Tasmanone, a natural insecticide derived from the leaves of Eucalyptus cloeziana, common name Gympie Messmate, a forest tree species found in areas of Queensland.
The active molecule in oil from the leaves of Eucalyptus cloeziana is Tasmanone, a β-triketone which exhibits a unique mode of action thought to be targeting the octopermine receptor in insects. This has been identified as the basis for a use patent and for commercialisation of the compound as an insecticide with applications in urban pest control, crop protection and animal health.
In the 1990s the University of Western Sydney (UWS), Richmond NSW, in collaboration with Southern Cross University (SCU), Lismore NSW undertook an insecticidal screening program of essential oils from Australian tree species. In May 2002, a PCT patent was filed for methods and compositions for controlling insects with Tasmanone and analogues. The PCT patent PCT/AU02/00569 acknowledges Professor Robert Spooner-Hart and Dr Albert Basta (UWS) as inventors.
BioProspect's initial interest in Tasmanone was obtained via its shareholding in Australian Phytochemicals Limited (APL) a company formed with SCU in September 2000. BioProspect subsequently purchased SCU's shareholding in APL in July 2002.
In September 2003, BioProspect formalised the ownership situation of Tasmanone by entering into an IP Development Agreement with UWS confirming a 50:50 joint ownership of the rights to the Tasmanone IP.
In January 2010, BioProspect announced an IP Assignment Deed with Bio-Gene Technology Ltd (Bio-Gene) and UWS which granted ownership of the Tasmanone IP to Bio-Gene, in exchange for fees and royalties split between BioProspect and UWS.
Bio-Gene has extensive experience in the growing, harvesting, extracting and commercialising of natural compounds from native Australian plants. BioProspect is committed to working with Bio-Gene in the successful development of Qcide® products, targeting both agricultural and household pest control markets.
For more information on Qcide® and Bio-Gene, refer to
http://www.bio-gene.com.au/