A Flagstaff-based biotechnology company has received regulatory approval for a highly effective contraceptive for rats.
The Arizona Daily Sun reports that the federal Environmental Protection Agency approval clears the way for SenesTech to market the rat birth control as a pest control product.
The sweet liquid bait causes egg loss in female rats and impairs sperm development in males. SenesTech CEO Loretta Mayer says females become sterilized for life if they drink the bait for long enough.
The biotechnology company has been working on the formula for more than a decade and attracted attention for a more humane, safe and environmentally-friendly alternative to traps and poisons.
The EPA approval means production will soon be underway at SenesTech's Flagstaff facility as the company prepares for the product's launch.
