On Sept. 19, 2024, Oxitec announced it had launched Sparks™, a new commercial platform to accelerate the global scale-up of Wolbachia replacement technology, a proven, sustainable method of limiting mosquitoes’ ability to transmit dengue.

Supported by a multi-million-dollar investment from the Gates Foundation, Sparks™ leverages Oxitec’s leading global R&D teams, manufacturing operations and distribution partnerships to rapidly scale Wolbachia supply and pursue access-enhancing pricing for communities most in need as set forth by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Oxitec’s Friendly™ mosquitoes and Sparks™ Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes play different and complementary roles in the fight against dengue. Oxitec’s Friendly™ mosquitoes are designed to significantly suppress populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes and, in turn, reduce biting and the threat of disease transmission.

Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes are designed to spread Wolbachia bacteria into the local mosquito population to limit the ability of the remaining infected mosquito population to transmit dengue. Each is suited for specific settings and intervention types, and provide options for governments and communities seeking suppression, replacement or hybrid approaches using both.