The development of new products is the theme for this section, which also provides an insight into the company’s product pipeline and chemical development activities both in Denmark and India.
Cheminova is currently investing considerable resources in development and growth, both with regard to acquiring new companies and launching new products. The development of new generic plant protection products and new ready-to-use products – formulations – is one of the company’s core competences.
New products
Most resources are invested in the development and registration of new products in the form of both active ingredients and formulations. Each year, a triple-digit million sum is invested in the development of new products alone. These are modern plant protection products which are primarily in demand in developed countries. See the figure below.
Reduced risk
These plant protection products generally represent a significantly lower risk profile that the old class I products, which are playing a declining role in the company’s product programme. When looking at the active ingredients used in Cheminova’s development projects – including local projects in the subsidiaries – there is a clear predominance of substances with a very low extreme toxicity - see the figure below. In addition, the ready-to-use products usually consist of diluted formulations, where the toxicity is further reduced.
The development work involves both insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, with most new products being found within the last two categories where Cheminova has identified the most interesting development potential.
Development improving daily operations
The development departments in Denmark and India provide chemical and technical assistance to daily operations and production. At both production sites, the development departments also participate in the ongoing efforts to reduce the consumption of raw materials and streamline the chemical processes to minimise the formation of waste products.
The generic products being developed by Cheminova are distributed across the markets with the majority in the most prosperous countries (the OECD’s income criteria can be found in the section about sales and product stewardship).
 Cheminova’s development products are largely based on active ingredients which have very low extreme toxicity according to WHO’s criteria.
WHO class U: Unlikely to present acute hazard.
WHO class III: Slightly hazardous.
WHO class II: Moderately hazardous.
Development of new active ingredients
New potential products are identified by market analysts and agronomists. The world market is analysed from a commercial and agronomic perspective with the aim of identifying potential product candidates that match Cheminova’s development needs and strategy.
Project work
The actual development of new active ingredients takes place through project work, which on the chemical side in Denmark involves three departments, i.e. synthesis development, process development and the trials department. The first of these is largely staffed by university chemists, chemical engineers and laboratory technicians, while chemical engineers and technicians are the primary strengths in the other two departments. In Denmark, more than 40 people are involved in the development chemistry of active ingredients. At the Indian R&D centre, sixteen chemists are engaged in process development and optimisation.
New active ingredients and more environmentally friendly manufacturing methods
 In both Denmark and India, the work on developing new and efficient manufacturing methods focuses considerably on the environment and safety. The new active ingredients can be characterised as being less toxic, while the chemical processes employed to produce the active ingre-
Preparing for test production. dients present a number of challenges. In connection with the development of a competitive production process for active ingredients, all intermediates, effluents and process stages must be carefully analysed and assessed in the laboratory. Later in the project process, the processes must be tested on a larger scale before establishing proper production. Scaling up the processes from laboratory to pilot plant requires significant development efforts, where the operating conditions, environmental and safety conditions are systematically assessed.
Innovative chemistry
Even though the active ingredients are well known on the world market, Cheminova often develops completely new production processes based on innovative chemistry from the outset, which requires comprehensive environmental and safety reporting work.
The development of new products requires in-depth know-how about the latest chemistry. New products are often complex substances, the manufacture of which involves many synthesis steps while also requiring highly product purity.
Cooperation
Sometimes, chemical development work takes place in cooperation with external laboratories. Joint development activities can comprise anything from purchasing already-developed products or processes to the joint development activities where Cheminova, in collaboration with the external laboratory, optimises the process. Development in cooperation with external laboratories is taking place to an increasing extent, and in future is expected to demand more efforts on the part of Cheminova’s development department.
Development of formulations
Before an active ingredient becomes a usable plant protection product, it needs to be in a form which can be mixed with water and used in the farmers’ spraying equipment. In Denmark and India, the work to develop formulations takes place in biological and chemical development laboratories, where more than 35 people are engaged in developing and testing ready-to-use formulations of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.
 
Product testing in biolab. Testing the effect on cotton bugs.
The development activities are targeted at solid and liquid formulations, and new development comprises both the company’s existing products as well as the new products which are being launched in the coming years. Here, efforts are made to produce patentable formulations.
Main types of formulations
| Formulations based on organic solvents |
| Contents |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Active ingredient, solvents, emulsifiers. |
Simple manufacturing proc-ess, easy to handle, useable with most active ingredients. |
Contain environmentally unfriendly organic solvents. Flammable, can be corrosive, can cause damage to plants and increase the toxicity of the active ingredient. Expensive packaging. |
| Water-based formulations |
| Contents |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Active ingredient, water, emulsifiers, spreading agents and thickening agents. |
Several types of formulations e.g. microcapsules, non-corrosive, non-flammable, less damage to plants. Useable with most active ingredients, do not increase the toxicity of the active ingredient, cheap packaging. |
High development costs, complex manufacturing process, sensitive to temperature. |
| Solid formulations (granulates) |
| Contents |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Active ingredient, carriers, spreading and moistening agents. |
Tolerate temperature fluctuations, do not increase the toxicity of the active ingredient, cheap packaging. |
High development costs, complex manufacturing process, require clean sprayer water, only suitable with a few active ingredients. |
Innovative formulations
Formulation chemistry is an area where Cheminova is innovative. More effective, safer and more stable formulations with approved accessory agents are being developed, and the trend towards better targeting and more precise application of agrochemicals is addressed. These objectives, of course, are also major aims in the marketing strategy of supplying proprietary formulations.
New accessory agents
The accessory agents which are necessary for manufacturing the formulations are, like other chemicals, subject to the approval of regulatory authorities, which means that emulsifiers, solvents, colourings, thickening agents etc. which have an unacceptable impact on the environment and on human health must be replaced by better alternatives. The main challenge for the department developing the formulations is to develop new formulations which are safer for farmers to use. Consequently, there is considerable focus on replacing organic solvents with water, and on developing solid formulations which are completely free from solvents.
 
More environmentally friendly products
Here, the development work has borne fruit in recent years. In the figure above it can be seen that Cheminova’s portfolio of modern formulations has been significantly increased at the expense of the traditional emulsifiable concentrates, where active ingredients and accessory agents are dissolved in organic solvents.
This trend will continue in the coming years. It is not possible to completely phase out solvents for the time being, but the company is striving to use more environmentally friendly and bio-degradable ingredients, and, where possible, products which have been approved as food additives will be used. Natural or modified plant oils are used to an increasing extent as solvents.
The right packaging
An integral part of the development work with formulations involves the selection and testing of packaging materials. As part of the approvals procedure for new products, documentation is required that the packaging/container which is used is sufficiently robust to withstand handling during transport, storage and use. Under changing climatic conditions, the containers must al-ways retain their strength and impermeability so they can be safely handled by users.
The latest products
New formulations have been developed for the generic products which we expect to launch in 2008. These are dry formulations in the form of water-dispersible granules, and the liquid products are either water-based or based on plant oils. Traditional organic solvents are only used for a single product. However, this product will be launched at a later date as a water-based microcapsule formulation.
Targets 2008
- In 2008, a code of conduct will be prepared concerning requirements of external partners in connection with development activities. The code of conduct will be implemented in 2009.
- The product programme will be based to an increasing extent on environmentally friendly formulations.
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Cheminova’s latest formulation
Active ingredient particles in plant oil, a so-called OD formulation
Treating an area the size of a football pitch with 50-100 g of active ingredient places considerable demands on the formulation of the active ingredient. The ingredients which, in addition to the active ingredient, make up the formulation, must ensure that:
- The product is safe and easy to handle.
- The formulation can easily be mixed with water.
- The active ingredient will be evenly spread across the entire area.
- The biological effect is optimal.
- The product has the least possible environmental impact.
For plant protection products which need to be absorbed by the plant to achieve the optimum biological effect, it is crucial that the active ingredient is transported as quickly and efficiently as possible through the outer wax and cell layer of each leaf. Generally, transport can be enhanced by adding appropriate surface-active agents and/or spreading oils to either the formulation or the spray liquid. Here, the OD formulation offers a unique opportunity to combine the active ingredient with a spreading oil. This type of formulation has only been introduced to the agrochemical sector in recent years.
An OD formulation is an oil-based suspension of solid active ingredient particles. When this is added to the spray liquid, it forms a suspension of the solid active ingredient and an emulsion of oil drops.
Manufacturing OD formulations is normally based on vegetable oil, which ensures that no unwanted damage is caused to the treated crop, and that environmental impacts remain minimal.
The type of OD formulation is particularly relevant for highly active plant protection products, where very small amounts of active ingredient are evenly spread over a large area.
Therefore, OD formulations figure highly in Cheminova’s thinking when it comes to renewal and expansion of Cheminova’s product programme. These considerations mean that Chemi-nova has registered one OD formulation while two more are being developed. Of these three products, two will be completely unique in the markets in which they are to be introduced. |
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