New Mosquito Repellent Ingredient Recommended by CDC Now Available in California

06/09/05

Picaridin as Effective as DEET to Combat West Nile Virus, More Pleasant to Use

ST. LOUIS, June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The West Nile virus already has been detected in California this year. However, there is good news in the battle against mosquito bites. Californians now have a truly effective DEET alternative to help protect them from mosquitoes: Picaridin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revised its recommendations on insect repellents that provide effective protection against mosquitoes that may transmit the West Nile virus. In addition to DEET-based repellents, the CDC is now recommending repellents that contain the active ingredient Picaridin (pronounced "pick-CARE-a-den"), which is new to the United States. Picaridin is proven to be as effective as DEET, but is more pleasant to use because it has a light, clean feel and is virtually odorless.

Picaridin is exclusively available in the United States in Cutter Advanced(TM) Insect Repellent. The product was introduced earlier this year in all states except California and New York, where state EPA registration typically occur later. According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, however, California state approval to sell Cutter Advanced with Picaridin was accelerated at the requests of state and federal officials. Approval in New York state is expected this summer.

Consumer response to Cutter Advanced with Picaridin elsewhere in the United States has been strong. According to Angela Proctor, product manager for Spectrum Brands, "Sales have far surpassed our expectations. In fact, it's difficult to find Cutter Advanced in some areas of the country because stores are selling out of it."

According to the CDC, only 40 percent of Americans regularly use mosquito repellents -- and only 23 percent use it on the West Coast, where West Nile cases are expected to peak this year. Because Picaridin is odorless and has a light, clean feel, it will be an appealing alternative for consumers who are dissatisfied with the way DEET-based repellents smell and feel.

Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent was the first brand in the United States to feature Picaridin. Picaridin, developed by Bayer in the late 1980s, works the same way as DEET in that it blocks an insect's ability to locate those who have applied it. Both field and lab studies conducted by the World Health Organization have shown that Picaridin is comparable to and often superior to DEET for long-lasting, effective protection. Picaridin is currently one of the top selling active ingredients in mosquito repellents in Europe.

With active ingredient Picaridin, Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent will provide Americans with the same long-lasting, effective protection against mosquitoes, biting flies, no-see-ums, fleas, and other biting insects as DEET- based repellents. In addition, it is fragrance free and does not need to be washed off when returning indoors. Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent is available at leading mass retailers, grocery and drug stores, home centers and hardware stores, and is priced comparable to current DEET-based repellents.

For more information on Picaridin, visit http://www.picaridin.com . And for more information on Cutter Advanced, visit http://www.cutteradvanced.com .

About Spectrum Brands, Inc.

Spectrum Brands (NYSE: SPC) (formerly Rayovac Corporation, NYSE: ROV) is a global consumer products company and a leading supplier of batteries, lawn and garden care products, specialty pet supplies, shaving and grooming products, household insecticides, personal care products and portable lighting. Spectrum Brands' products are sold by the world's top 20 retailers and are available in over one million stores in 120 countries around the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Spectrum Brands generates approximately $2.8 billion in annualized revenues and has approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. The company's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SPC.

SOURCE  Spectrum Brands, Inc.
    -0-                             06/09/2005
    /CONTACT:  Vicki Boutwell of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-314-982-9127,
boutwelv@fleishman.com , for Spectrum Brands, Inc./
    /Web site:  http://www.picaridin.com
                http://www.cutteradvanced.com /
    (SPC ROV)

CO:  Spectrum Brands, Inc.; Rayovac Corporation
ST:  Missouri, California, Georgia
IN:  HOU REA HEA MTC
SU:  PDT

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0946 06/09/2005 12:45 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com