Maneico

Insecticide resistance is reshaping the landscape of mosquito-borne disease. Up to 97 percent of disease-carrying species are resistant to common insecticides like pyrethroids and carbamates, while widely available DEET-based products feel unpleasant on skin and can damage fabrics and plastics.

Maneico developed a repellent based on red mangrove leaf extract. The active ingredient has been shown to be as effective as, or more effective than, DEET in published studies, and the formulation targets both adult mosquitoes and larvae of species that carry yellow fever, malaria, and filarial disease.

The product offered 8 to 11 hours of protection in testing, compared to 2 to 6 hours for leading DEET products and 1 to 3 hours for other natural alternatives. The project spun out of McGill BioDesign at the end of Winter 2023 as an independent start-up.