Oxitec Announces Expansion into Central America to Launch New Program in Panama to Fight Malaria-Transmitting Mosquitoes Threatening Meso-America

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Apr 27, 2023, 08:00 ET

Oxitec is launching a new hub in Panama to initiate the next phase of its program to combat the Anopheles albimanus mosquito, a major obstacle to regional malaria eradication across Central America and parts of South America.
Oxitec is partnering with the Institute of Scientific Research and High Technology Services of Panama (INDICASAT-AIP), working in collaboration with the institute's regionally respected mosquito biology experts.
The project partners will conduct mosquito surveillance of Anopheles albimanus in malaria-threatened communities in Panama in preparation for future pilots of a Friendly™ Anopheles albimanus mosquito control technology to combat this regional malaria threat.

OXFORD, England, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of insect-based biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock, today announced the launch of a new phase of its malaria program in the Americas. Oxitec is establishing a team in Panama with the aim of preparing for future pilots of Friendly™ mosquitoes to combat the dominant malaria-spreading mosquito in Mesoamerica. During the first phase of this program, Oxitec will conduct field studies to help guide future pilots of the Friendly™ Anopheles albimanus solution - currently in development - to deliver impact in Panamanian communities, and other communities throughout Central America and the Caribbean, threatened by malaria. Oxitec is partnering with INDICASAT-AIP, a globally respected research institute dedicated to scientific and technological advancement for public good in Panama.

Oxitec is launching a new program to address significant malaria outbreaks in rural Panama

More than 50 million people live at risk of malaria across the Central America region. Effective vector control tools are urgently needed to support ongoing malaria prevention and eradication efforts in Panama and beyond. The Anopheles albimanus mosquito is responsible for most rural malaria transmission in eastern Panama and across the region. This mosquito bites outdoors, when people are unprotected by bed nets, and it is also increasingly resistant to chemical insecticides, making it harder than ever to control.

As this new pilot phase launches, the project team, in collaboration with local community leaders, will conduct field surveillance of Anopheles albimanus in Panamanian communities, to better understand the mosquito's population dynamics, breeding behaviour and movement. These studies will provide early data to inform the design of future field pilot deployments of Friendly™ Anopheles albimanus. This Panama launch follows a parallel Oxitec program in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, targeting the invasive urban malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi.

Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, said, "We're excited to be embarking on a new phase of our malaria program to combat Mesoamerica's most dangerous malaria-spreading mosquito in Panama, where we have previously demonstrated the outstanding efficacy of our Friendly™ solutions against the dengue-spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito. Panama's leadership on this front will no doubt serve as an exemplar for how other countries in the region tackle emerging issues, especially in the face of a rapidly changing climate. We're thrilled to be partnering with INDICASAT-AIP, a leading scientific light in Central America, in this major step towards joining the fight against malaria in the region."

Dr Ricardo Lleonart, Interim Director of INDICASAT AIP, commented, "There is an urgent need to test cutting-edge malaria vector control methods in order to develop long-term solutions to Panama's deteriorating malaria problem."

Oxitec's non-biting Friendly™ male mosquitoes are a targeted, proven tool for mosquito control. After release into a local community these non-biting males find and mate with local biting mosquito females. Their female offspring cannot survive, which means fewer biting female mosquitoes in the following generations. This Friendly™ product technology controls the pest mosquito without harming beneficial species like bees and butterflies. The Friendly™ Aedes aegypti, which targets the primary dengue-spreading mosquito, is proven to suppress Aedes aegypti populations by to up to 96%, and is now commercially launched and protecting households, businesses and communities across Brazil. Oxitec is now working to translate this success to the sustainable control of important malaria-spreading mosquitoes.

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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SOURCE Oxitec