Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine

The award-winning Agtech startup will provide the first real-time mosquito surveillance to support CDC's recent initiatives around vector control and mosquito suppression RIVERSIDE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, agtech startup FarmSense, announces that it has been awarded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds in the amount of $275,000, with potential expansion of up to $2 million for the creation of an end-to-end platform for digital mosquito surveillance. The project will support the vital work of vector control and mosquito suppression efforts, targeting the reduction of diseases like West Nile, Eastern Encephalitis, Zika, and Malaria. This development comes in the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issuing a health advisory for multiple cases of malaria in the US for the first time since 2003. The success of FarmSense's FlightSensor™ in providing real-time pest monitoring for commercial agricultural operations is now expanding its technology into the realm of public health. Current mosquito monitoring primarily relies on mechanical traps that require frequent in-person attendance and are labor and time intensive. FarmSense's technology will enhance both the time, accuracy, and ease of insect surveillance — thus bolstering mosquito suppression efforts, while reducing associated labor costs and the volume of pesticides that are used. "FarmSense is honored and excited to be part of such a crucial public health project," said Dr. Leslie Hickle, FarmSense co-founder and CEO. "I'm confident that the capabilities of our technology and FlightSensor device will provide the necessary data to effectively serve both the commercial agriculture industry as well as provide important public health information. This is one of those rare opportunities where technology benefits both agriculture as well as public health, generally separate markets, to enhance precise measures for insect suppression." Beyond area-wide surveillance and advancing mosquito suppression efforts, developments from this project will also provide researchers with valuable tools for better understanding mosquito-vectored diseases, measuring the effectiveness of attractants and repellents, new treatments, developing new technologies in mosquito control, and reducing overall pesticide use that will hopefully result in improved environmental protection. [Source] FarmSense's FlightSensor™ utilizes patented technology, computational entomology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time analytics to improve insect monitoring methods. To partner with or learn more about FarmSense and their FlightSensor technology, visit About FarmSense: Founded in 2016, FarmSense helps farmers simplify pest management and take the guesswork out of insect monitoring. The company's patented FlightSensor™ technology provides real-time insect counts and classifications, giving immediate access for farmers to make mission-critical decisions on crop and pest control. As an award-winning startup, FarmSense has already been awarded more than $2 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding for the development of biosecurity measures against native and invasive pests. With the potential expansion of the latest SBIR, this total could grow to over $4 million. FarmSense has garnered numerous media features, participated in several notable agriculture and climate focused conferences, and received awards and grants from entities such as Microsoft, Google, US Department of Defense, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and more. Media Contact: Grady Moore [email protected] (949) 264-2347 SOURCE FarmSense

ST. LOUIS, July 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Defender Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company” or “Defender”), a privately held life sciences company based in St. Louis, today announced that it had entered into an exclusive license agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA), a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army. Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), to develop and commercialize a total of eight products for use against the following tropical diseases: tularemia (rabbit virus); Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (two formulations); Eastern Equine Encephalitis; Western Equine Encephalitis; Rift Valley Fever; chikungunya and Q Fever. The agreement was entered into on July 25th, 2023 and covers eight investigational vaccines that have been part of the Army’s Special Immunization Program. Under the agreement, USAMMDA will transfer the Investigational New Drug applications for each of the eight products, related data, and biological materials to Defender. Development work on these products will commence once this transfer is complete. Defender plans to work collaboratively with USAMMDA during the term of the agreement, with ongoing support from USAMRDC’s Office of Regulated Activities to advance product development, licensure, and commercialization of the licensed technology. “Entering into this license agreement with the U.S. Army is a significant step forward for Defender as a company and reinforces the strong and highly collaborative relationship we have established with the U.S. military and other government agencies,” said Barry I. Feinberg, M.D. and President & CEO of Defender Pharmaceuticals. “We are excited to begin work on these important and potentially life-saving products to protect not only our nation’s warfighters but everyone throughout the world exposed to these disease threats.” About the Tropical Diseases Information about Q Fever can be found at: Q Fever: Epidemiology and Statistics,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available: https://www.cdc.gov/qfever/stats/index.html Information about Chikungunya Virus can be found at: Chikungunya Virus,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 2, 2022, available: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/index.html Information about Rift Valley Fever can be found at: Rift Valley Fever, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feb. 25, 2020, available: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/rvf/index.html#:~:text=Rift%20Valley%20fever%20(RVF)%20is,through%20bites%20from%20infected%20mosquitoes Information about Lassa Fever can be found at: Lassa Fever: Signs and Symptoms,” U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, March 25, 2014, available: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/lassa/symptoms/index.html Information about Western Equine Encephalitis Virus can be found at: Western Equine Encephalitis,” Army Public Health Center, Entomological Sciences Division, FACT SHEET 18-045-0317, available:https://phc.amedd.army.mil/PHC%20Resource%20Library/WesternEquineEncephalitis_FS_18-045-0317.pdf Information about Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus can be found at: Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: Statistics and Maps”, Oct. 31, 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available: https://www.cdc.gov/easternequineencephalitis/statistics-maps/index.html Information about Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis can be found at: Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Standard Operating Procedures: 1. Overview of Etiology and Ecology,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2013, available: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/sop/sop_vee_e-e.pdf Information about Tularemia can be found at: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Tularemia,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available: https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia/faq.asp#:~:text=Tularemia%2C%20also%20known%20as%20%E2%80%9Crabbit,all%20U.S.%20states%20except%20Hawaii About Defender Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Defender Pharmaceuticals, Inc., located in St. Louis, MO, is a privately held life sciences company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing medicines to help safeguard health across civilian and military populations. Our work with the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other institutions advance our mission to improve the health of patients and help make the world a more secure place. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements Various statements in this press release, including but not limited to statements regarding Defender’s plans to co-develop products to treat various tropical diseases and pursue FDA approval, are forward-looking statements under securities law. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our product candidates and the development thereof, such as the Company’s tropical disease co-development program; the therapeutic potential of our tropical disease product candidates; the Company’s regulatory plans and timelines for the tropical disease product candidates, including our planned submission of a New Drug Application for each of these product candidates. The process by which investigational therapies, such as these tropical disease product candidates, could potentially lead to an approved product is long and subject to highly significant risks. Other risk factors relevant to Defender include our reliance on third-party contract research organizations; the reliance of Defender on contract manufacturers to supply its products for research, development and commercialization and the risk of supply interruption from such contract manufacturers; the timing, plans and reviews by regulatory authorities of marketing applications such as NDAs for the tropical disease product candidates; alignment with the FDA on the regulatory pathway to approval for the tropical disease product candidates; market acceptance for approved product; competition; the possible impairment of, inability to obtain, and costs to obtain intellectual property rights; possible safety or efficacy concerns that could emerge as new data are generated during development and following commercialization; and general business, financial, and accounting risks and litigation. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Defender’s current views with respect to future events as of the date of this press release, and Defender does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For media inquiries, please contact info@defenderpharma.com. For more information about Defender Pharmaceuticals, please visit www.defenderpharma.com. Source: Defender Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

~June 18 – 24 is National Mosquito Control Awareness Week; Fight the Bite~ TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida's summer rainy season is falling in full force. More rain leads to more mosquitoes that only require a bottle cap of standing water to breed and spread. National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, June 18-24, is an important reminder that, while small, mosquitoes are not only annoying, but can transmit harmful and deadly diseases. In Florida, mosquito-borne disease activity has already prompted mosquito-control and state health officials in five counties - Orange, Polk, Sarasota, Manatee, and Miami-Dade - to issue mosquito borne-illness health warnings. Local mosquito control officials are strongly urging residents and visitors to take basic precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to help limit exposure. With Florida recording a record 37.9 million tourists in the first three months of 2023, it is imperative that everyone follows simple tips to keep their loved ones and themselves safe. "Like humans, mosquitoes live around the world but love to come to Florida," said Sandra Fisher-Grainger, President of the Florida Mosquito Control Association and Director of Hernando County Mosquito Control. "Our highly trained scientists and experts are always working to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness, and every resident and visitor can help to limit the risk." Florida is fortunate to have the best mosquito-control professionals in the country, already deploying high-tech measures and 24/7 attention to combat the world's deadliest animal. According to the American Mosquito Control Association, "mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people each year around the world, and with global travel, pathogens such as the Zika virus are transported to the United States each year. As our population grows and people inhabit new locations, interactions between humans, animals, and mosquitoes increase the risk of exotic disease transmission." Earlier this year, a mosquito species discovered in Florida in 2018 – the Culex lactator – was found to be spreading to other parts of the state, raising fears that it could spread disease after migrating from Central America. Already this year, Miami-Dade County has had two cases of dengue infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Late last month, Sarasota and Manatee counties issued a warning after local transmission of malaria was found. Earlier this month, Orange County issued a mosquito advisory after half of the chickens in a coop designed to monitor mosquito-spread diseases tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and several horses have shown to be infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Polk County. "While there are only a few cases that have been reported, we must respond as forcefully and quickly as possible," said Keira Lucas, Deputy Executive Director at Collier Mosquito Control District in southwest Florida. "Mosquitoes don't care if they are in a neighborhood, the beach or a business district so we all have to take precautions." "Following simple steps, can help you protect your home and your family, especially during the summer months when we are spending more time outdoors," added Lucas. They include the following: Draining standing water around your home; Dressing in long sleeves and long pants; Defending yourself by using an EPA-approved insect repellant with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535; During dusk and dawn, avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active. Mosquitoes transmit a multitude of diseases that can cause great harm – including Zika, West Nile virus, chikungunya, and dengue fever. Successful mosquito control requires cutting-edge scientific knowledge from many fields, including entomology, biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, genetics, and geology. Highly trained public servants control mosquitoes through several tools including airplanes, helicopters, traps, drones and more. Every sector of the state's economy depends on the health of workers, residents, and visitors. The state's two largest business sectors, tourism, and agriculture could not grow without control of mosquitoes and their health risk. Each Floridian can help control mosquitoes with just a few steps. The University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health have comprehensive guidance for residents and visitors. The Florida Mosquito Control Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary of protecting the state's residents, businesses, and visitors. CONTACT: Alia Faraj-Johnson, 850-212-8317 SOURCE Florida Mosquito Control Association