Reinach, 21 October 2022 – Evolva (SIX:EVE) a pioneer in the field of natural molecules and industrial biotech, has received a grant of USD 540,000 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the development of NootkaSHIELDTM  for new formulations and applications in the area of tick bite prevention. The grant will be distributed in several payments over a period of 18 months, commencing on 30 September 2022.

The grant is an important milestone in bringing NootkaSHIELDTM, a next-generation protection against vector-borne deseases spread by insects and ticks, to the US market. This follows initial US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of nootkatone as an active ingredient for use in insecticides and insect repellents in August 2020.

In the meantime, Evolva has worked on developing highly effective formulations for consumer, household and animal applications and has successfully commenced test launches in South East Asia. Initial revenues from those pilot sales in Singapore and Hong Kong are expected in 4Q 2022 and to continue in 2023.

The grant now received by Evolva from CDC supports the further development of products based on NootkaSHIELDTM. Specifically, Evolva is to develop nature-based and effective products that people can easily use before and after outdoor activities in high-risk tick areas that will kill or repel ticks to reduce the number of tickborne disease cases.

Lyle R. Petersen, MD, Director of CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, which led the research and development of nootkatone for use against insects and ticks, states: “Additional tools to help prevent tick bites are urgently needed to combat the increasing threat of tickborne diseases. Nootkatone provides a new, naturally-derived ingredient to help protect people and pets from tick bites. CDC supports this effort to accelerate development of products to make this promising new tool available.”

Astrid Schäfer, Head of Innovation and R&D at Evolva, explains: ”There are several methods to prevent tick bites, including use of personal repellents, wearing clothing to reduce tick access to exposed skin, frequent checking for and removing ticks or showering to wash off unattached ticks. Though helpful, these methods aren’t sufficient to reduce tick-borne diseases. New methods must be easy to use and affordable in order to be readily accepted by consumers and integrated into a tick control and prevention routine. With the funding granted by CDC, Evolva is advancing the further development of NootkaSHIELDTM to address these specific consumer needs and applications.”

Christian Wichert, CEO of Evolva, commented: “We thank CDC for its financial support and trust in our ability to further advance our novel approach for the prevention of insect- and tick-transmitted diseases with NootkaSHIELDTM. The possibility to specifically develop everyday use applications for the US market together with CDC is very exciting. I am very proud of our R&D team that has again proven innovative in developing effective insect and tick protection based on natural ingredients that address consumer needs in the megatrend areas of wellness, health and sustainability. We at Evolva are convinced that NootkaSHIELDTM will become a new business for Evolva with substantial revenue and profitability potential following initial test sales in South East Asia and expected entry into the US market. With this exciting market opportunity, Evolva further has the potential for disruptive new business model extensions with business-to-business and direct-to-consumer approaches.”

Important dates

09 March 2023 Full-year 2022 results

18 April 2023  Annual General Meeting

Contact

Doris Rudischhauser

Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

+41 79 410 81 88

dorisr@evolva.com

About NootkaSHIELDTM

Nootkatone is an ingredient found in minute quantities in the bark of the Alaska yellow cedar (also known as the Nootka cypress) and in the skin of grapefruit. Nootkatone has been tested against a variety of biting pests, including the ticks that are responsible for spreading Lyme disease and the mosquitoes that spread Zika, chikungunya, dengue and West Nile viruses.
 

About Evolva

Evolva is a Swiss biotech company focused on the research, development and commercialization of ingredients based on nature. We have leading businesses in Flavors and Fragrances, Health Ingredients and Health Protection. Evolva’s employees, half of which are women, are dedicated to make the best products that can contribute to health, wellbeing and sensory enjoyment. Find out more at evolva.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

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Disclaimer
This announcement is not an offer of securities into the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered, pledged, sold, delivered or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. Further, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Canada, Australia or Japan or under the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation of such laws.             
This press release contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like believe, assume, expect or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.