Oxitec's Malaria Program Receives New Investment to Expand to Pilot Phases in Two Malaria-Affected Regions

• Oxitec's team of experts will advance development and pilot validation of the Friendly™ mosquito platform to combat two malaria-spreading mosquitoes: the invasive Anopheles stephensi, predicted to cause urban malaria epidemics across Africa; and Anopheles albimanus, which is slowing malaria eradication efforts in the Americas.
• Oxitec's safe and targeted Friendly™ technology uses non-biting male mosquitoes to reduce pest populations and is proven against other disease-spreading mosquitoes.
• This multi-year international program will be supported by US$18 million of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

OXFORD, England, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of biological pest control solutions, today announced the launch of the next phase of the company's malaria vector program, enabled by US$18 million of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This new chapter in Oxitec's fight against malaria-spreading mosquitoes marks a transition from targeted Friendly™ mosquito strain development in the lab to validation of the Friendly™ solution in communities living under daily threat of this disease. Malaria kills more than half a million people each year across the world and, according to the World Health Organization, nearly half of the world's population is at risk.

Oxitec's malaria program targets two malaria-spreading mosquitoes that pose major challenges to the international community's regional malaria eradication goals. Anopheles stephensi is the dominant malaria vector in South Asia and the Middle East. Around 2012 it invaded Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, where it has caused a massive rise in malaria incidence in the capital city – more than 10% of the country's population was estimated to be infected in 2018. This species' capacity to breed in urban communities distinguishes it from other malaria-spreading mosquitoes, and as it spreads further experts warn of disastrous malaria outbreaks across African cities.

Anopheles albimanus is the most significant malaria vector in Central America and parts of South America. Progress has been made in achieving regional malaria eradication – El Salvador was certified malaria-free in 2021 – but efforts have stalled in many other parts of the region, new vector control tools are needed to regain momentum towards this regional aim. Like An. stephensi, An. albimanus is widely resistant to insecticides and readily bites outdoors, reducing the effectiveness of bed nets and other indoor prevention tools.

Oxitec's safe technology uses non-biting, self-limiting male mosquitoes to suppress disease-spreading pests, and in over a decade of multiple deployments has achieved >90% suppression of populations of Aedes aegypti, a dangerous mosquito that spreads dengue and other diseases. Friendly™ insects are target-specific, non-toxic, and self-limiting in the environment.

To apply this technology against malaria-spreading mosquitoes, a dedicated team of experts at Oxitec from more than 10 countries has spent nearly four years conducting early development and innovation with the support of the Gates Foundation. Now with the launch of this new three-year pilot phase, the Oxitec team will partner with regional experts and communities to conduct field pilots of the Friendly™ solution targeting these two important vectors. In parallel, Oxitec will advance development of innovative Friendly™ mosquito production, distribution and deployment methods to be tested in pilot locations, to deliver Friendly™ solutions that are scalable and accessible in malaria-endemic regions. Locations for these pilots will be announced in the coming months.

Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, said, "This investment in the expansion of our malaria program will allow us to build the partnerships, systems and programs necessary to pilot our technologies where they're needed the most, taking them one step closer to delivering impact on lives and livelihoods. We couldn't be more thankful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and to the multi-national, multi-disciplinary team that has assembled around this effort."

Neil Morrison, Oxitec's Malaria Program Director, added, "We're looking forward to working with expert partners, regulators, regional stakeholders, and most importantly, malaria-affected communities to develop and validate these two new Friendly™ mosquitoes. As we've shown with our successes against other disease-spreading mosquitoes, Friendly™ mosquitoes unlock new levels of vector control performance without impacting humans, animals or the environment."

About Oxitec

Oxitec is the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock. Founded in 2002 at the University of Oxford, Oxitec is led by a passionate team comprised of 15 nationalities and is supported by world-class public, private and non-profit partners.

Learn more at oxitec.com. 

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