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Gene-edited sterile-insect approach advances in trials, faces unclear U.S. review pathway
Summary
AgriGene described a gene-edited sterile insect method aimed at spotted wing drosophila and other pests. The company said the product is species-specific and scalable but does not fit cleanly into existing EPA or USDA regulatory categories, causing delays and double reviews.
A St. Louis biotech told a House Agriculture Committee hearing that a gene-edited sterile insect approach being developed to suppress pest populations runs into regulatory barriers because current law and guidance are written for chemical pesticides.
Lede: "AgriGene's PG SIT technology ... uses modern gene-editing tools like CRISPR to precisely and reliably edit the genes responsible for fertility and female viability," Brian Witherby, AgriGene's chief executive, told the committee. "These males are healthy, competitive, and self limiting."
Nut graf: Witherby said the technology has been tested in…
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