Oxitec Receives US$6.8 Million from Wellcome Trust to Advance Scale-up of Friendly™ Aedes aegypti Technology
DATE: 21 April 2021
PRESS RELEASE
Oxitec Receives US$6.8 Million from Wellcome Trust to Advance Scale-up of Friendly™ Aedes aegypti Technology
Award will fund new scale-up innovations to help make Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti technology accessible to low-income communities worldwide suffering from
dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of insect-based biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops, and harm livestock, today announced that it has received US$6.8 million in funding from the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest charitable foundations, to fund scale-up programs for Oxitec’s just-add-water Friendly™ Aedes aegypti technology.
Building on the successful performance of the technology in Brazil over the last three years, this award will fund Oxitec’s work on new production scale-up innovations, product features and methodologies that are focused on reducing costs and improving accessibility of the technology for those communities suffering most from Aedes aegypti-transmitted diseases.
In addition, the award will fund a large two-year area-wide pilot project in the São Paulo region in Brazil which will allow Oxitec to pilot these advancements in dengue-prone urban environments.
Grey Frandsen, Oxitec’s CEO, said, “We are immensely grateful for Wellcome’s partnership and support as we work to make our Friendly™ Aedes aegypti solution universally accessible to communities most in need around the world. We are pleased that the Wellcome Trust believes in this vision and shares in our aim to scale this technology as quickly as possible so we can deliver real impact in the global fight against dengue and other vector-borne diseases.”
Fully approved by Brazilian regulators in 2020, Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti technology represents a major advancement in safe, targeted vector control designed to empower governments, businesses, communities and individuals to participate in controlling mosquitoes that transmit diseases.
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About Oxitec
Oxitec is the leading developer of insect-based 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 partners. Learn more at oxitec.com.
About Wellcome
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, global heating and infectious diseases.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust, grant number 221376/Z/20/Z.