GM mosquitoes clear an FDA hurdle for Florida release, locals angry

(credit: US DHHS)

Genetically engineered mosquitoes that have been under regulatory review for the past five years have passed one of the last remaining hurdles to gain approval for release in a field trial, the Food and Drug Administration announced Friday.

Oxitec’s OX513A Aedes aegypti mosquito would pose no significant threat to the environment or to people in Key Haven, a community in the Florida Keys where the company proposed the trial, the agency announced in a preliminary finding. The initial judgment of “no impact” from the environmental assessment will be followed up by a 30-day window for public comments. Then, the FDA will make a final decision. If the agency confirms the preliminary green light, the mosquitoes could be released shortly after.

“We look forward to this proposed trial and the potential to protect people from Aedes aegypti and the diseases it spreads,” Oxitec’s Chief Executive Officer Hadyn Parry said in a statement.

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