2016-02-05
I-Tech gets large market recognition of the newly EU-approved agent
Selektope ®
Following the approval of Selektope ® under the EU’s Biocidal Products Regulation, developer ITech reports extraordinary uptake for antifouling coatings that include the industry’s first
pharmacological means of combatting barnacle settlement. In the first month of 2016, orders
amounted to double the volume achieved during the whole of 2015, with antifoulings including
Selektope being applied for complete hull coating projects.
I-Tech CEO Philip Chaabane says that the higher than anticipated demand from shipowners and
acceptance by major coatings suppliers of performance claims for the biotechnology solution
represent a decisive movement in the marine paints industry.
“We are very pleased to witness the market response to Selektope following recent achievements
in securing major regulatory approval,” says Mr. Chaabane. “A key factor is the product’s ability to
extend static performance of the coating, which is one of the major areas where improvements are
needed. This is a good start. I am confident that uptake by the marine coatings industry will quickly
bring Selektope’s other benefits into focus, contributing to an overall improvement in the
performance of antifouling coatings.”
I-Tech has been able to meet the surge in demand through its agreement with life sciences giant
Cambrex to produce Selektope on an industrial scale. “Venturing from academia into the industry
of antifouling has been truly demanding, and we still have a long way to go. But we are stronger
than ever and determined to see continued success,” concludes Philip Chaabane
Selektope® – further improving antifouling paints
Selektope introduces for the first time ever a pharmacological mode of action to combat barnacle settlement.
By temporarily stimulating the octopamine receptor, the barnacle larvae’s swimming behaviour is activated
and the organisms are deterred from the hull. These ground-breaking discoveries enable unrivalled power at
very low concentrations, yet within the limits of rigorous risk assessments. Selektope is an organic, non-metal
compound with efficacy proven at 0.1% w/w.
About I-Tech
I-Tech is a Gothenburg based bio-tech company with global reach, holding all IP and regulatory rights to its all
new antifouling agent Selektope (generic name, medetomidine).
The company is privately held and is supported by Swedish Energy Association, the European Innovation
Initiative Eco-Innovation and FP7 SeaFront. The company is a member of the Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub.
Contact details
Philip Chaabane, CEO, [email protected] +46 (0) 73 910 37 08
Developed and distributed by; I-TECH AB c/o Astra Zeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden,
Telephone +46 31 788 05 60, www.selektope.com