SenesTech, a leader in technology for managing animal pest populations through fertility control, is celebrating the registration approval from New York state for the marketing and sale of ContraPest. As a result of the anticipated demand for the product to control rat infestations, the Flagstaff company is ramping up manufacturing capabilities.
SenesTech’s existing manufacturing capacity, estimated at 300,000 liters per year, is expected to double under current expansion plans. SenesTech, which takes advantage of local talent and hires Northern Arizona University interns, anticipates creating more jobs.
“Our Flagstaff manufacturing line was planned and built to meet early launch capacity, however, the increasing demand from customers for ContraPest indicates a need for additional manufacturing capacity,” said Mayer.
Additional expansion also includes Research and Development labs now being built in office space at Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET) Flagstaff Accelerator Facility.
“New York approval is an important milestone for commercializing ContraPest, as a number of our initial customers are located in that state,” said Dr. Loretta P. Mayer, SenesTech CEO and co-founder. “We can now move to finalize purchase agreements in New York, where ContraPest has already successfully completed trials with potential customers.”
New York state registration, achieved last month, was imperative because had the company not received approval, SenesTech would have had to apply for conditional use permits to move forward. That would have caused further delays, a company spokesperson told Flagstaff Business News. SenesTech can now sell directly to end users in New York state.
A giant step in the approval process happened last summer when SenesTech’s ContraPest was registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because the product affects non-companion animals, the EPA did the studies and approval rather than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (The FDA approves products for humans and companion animals.) After EPA approval, next steps involved getting approvals from each state. New York’s registration brought the list of state approvals for ContraPest to 36 plus the District of Columbia. The State of Arizona is on that list.
The New York State approval will help SenesTech proceed with highly reputable partners. Currently, the Northern Arizona Company is in discussions with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) for two additional studies. If the studies proceed, both will be run by the New York Department of Public Health as third-party studies.
In 2013-14, SenesTech successfully ran an initial study in New York City with the MTA. That testing by SenesTech was featured in a segment of Stephen Hawking’s “Brave New World” television show. In the past, New York City tried to eliminate rats by destroying and filling in rat burrows. But the rats would simply move to new locations. It was not a long-term solution. Poison and snap traps could not be used around children’s playgrounds and community gardens because of safety issues. SenesTech’s non-poisonous fertility control product provides a safe alternative.
Earlier this year, SenesTech co-founders Mayer and Dr. Cheryl Dyer were joined by members of the SenesTech team to ring the NASDAQ Closing Bell. SenesTech, the first public company headquartered in Flagstaff, was featured on the seven-story tall Times Square NASDAQ marquee. The ringing of the bell celebrated SenesTech’s 2016 initial public offering (IPO). Shares began trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SNES” on Dec. 8, 2016.
The next step in the approval process is garnering sanction from the State of California. According to sources, organizations in California have shown interest in ContraPest, and the company is currently working on approval in that state. Dr. Sandra Alcaraz, recently hired as vice president of regulatory affairs, has submitted California applications. The process could be as long as six months or take as few as two months.
SenesTech has developed an innovative technology for managing animal pest populations through fertility control as opposed to a lethal approach. The non-lethal approach, targeting reproduction, is believed to be more humane, less harmful to the environment and more effective in providing a sustainable solution to pest infestations than traditional lethal pest management methods. There is currently no other non-lethal fertility control product approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the management of rodent populations. FBN
By Stacey Wittig, FBN
SenesTech, Inc.
3140 N. Caden Court Suite 1, Flagstaff
928-779 -4143
Photo by Stacey Wittig
