Oxitec and Rentokil Enter Into National Distribution Partnership for Friendly™ Aedes aegypti Solutions to Combat Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes In Brazil
ANNOUNCEMENT
Oxitec and Rentokil Enter Into National Distribution Partnership for Friendly™ Aedes aegypti Solutions to Combat Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes In Brazil
This new partnership will expand the distribution of Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti product, known as Aedes do Bem™ in Brazil, to all states in Brazil in both the government and commercial sales channels.
The Friendly™ Aedes aegypti product launched commercially in 2021, serving households, communities and businesses nationwide, and Oxitec is now making the product available in all states in Brazil.
Rentokil joins seven other distribution partners that are deploying Friendly™ Aedes aegypti throughout the country to governments, communities, and some of Brazil’s largest employers.
New solutions for the Aedes aegypti mosquito are urgently needed at a time when the number of deaths from dengue, one of the viral diseases spread by this mosquito, is the highest ever registered in Brazil.
Oxford, 23/01/2023 - Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of insect-based biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock, announced today a new partnership with the pest control industry leader, Rentokil, to distribute Friendly™ Aedes aegypti in Brazil. Rentokil will make the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti product available to existing and new customers throughout Brazil, meeting an urgent need among city governments, businesses, communities and households for a safe, effective and environmentally friendly solution to target females of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This invasive, biting mosquito transmits dangerous viral diseases including dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
After a successful beta launch in 2021, Oxitec launched Friendly™ Aedes aegypti nationally in October 2022, working with select distribution partners to serve a range of customers in each of the country's regions. Existing customers include Petrobras, Siemens Energy, Stellantis, Globo Media Studios and Socicam, among a range of other large-scale employers and brands.
Rentokil will distribute Friendly™ Aedes aegypti nationwide in both the government and commercial sales channels. With more than 90 years of global experience and more than 47,000 employees in 90 countries, Rentokil is recognized as a world leader in pest control services and has been constantly incorporating innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions to its portfolio.
“The Friendly™ Aedes aegypti technology is fantastic and represents a huge advance in controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes without risking pollinators and wild insects. A breakthrough that we are proud to be a part of,” explains Carlos Peçanha, Technical Director at Rentokil.”
Oxitec manufactures Friendly™ Aedes aegypti in its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Campinas, São Paulo state, called “Chrysalis”, which will supply Rentokil hubs throughout Brazil.
“Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti offers a simple, sustainable, safe and effective solution for controlling the mosquito that transmits dangerous viral diseases. Our partnership with Rentokil creates a nationwide platform to deliver impact against a persistent and difficult-to-control public health threat that has been increasing year after year”, said Natália Ferreira, Oxitec Brazil’s Director.
In 2022, Brazil recorded 1,016 confirmed deaths from dengue, 400% higher than the previous year, and the highest registered in one year. The number of cases of dengue in 2022 was around 1.4 million – 164% higher than in 2021, according to the Ministry of Health.
According to Grey Frandsen, Oxitec’s CEO, “As we prepared to launch Friendly™ Aedes aegypti nationally in Brazil, we sought distribution partners that shared the same commitment to big, bold advances in delivering sustainable vector control solutions combined with unwavering commitment to building trust with customers and the communities we seek to serve. We found that in Rentokil, and together, we will deliver safe, targeted, biological mosquito control to families, businesses and cities across Brazil.”
Oxitec’s just-add-water product produces non-biting Friendly™ male mosquitoes over time, which mate with invasive, biting Aedes aegypti females. Their female offspring cannot survive, which means fewer biting female mosquitoes in the following generations. In urban pilots in the city of Indaiatuba, deployments of the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti in densely populated communities led to up to 96% suppression of Aedes aegypti populations. This Friendly™ product technology controls the pest mosquito without harming beneficial species like bees and butterflies.
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Oxitec welcomes all media inquiries.
Oxitec Press Office US/UK:
+1-202-792-3080
Oxitec Press Office Brazil:
Luiz Lamim
Cel.: +55 11 94512-2181
Mauricio Storelli
Cel.: +55 11 99451-8558
Manu Vergamini
manu.vergamini@vireinoticia.com.br
Cel.: +55 11 98772-1162
Raiza Rodrigues
raiza.rodrigues@vireinoticia.com.br
Cel.: +55 11 96810-5335
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.