Lavie Bio Forms Licensing Agreement for Biofungicides with Corteva Agriscience

By AgriBusiness Global Staff|17 July 2023

Lavie Bio Ltd., a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd., and a leading ag biologicals company that develops microbiome-based, computational driven biostimulant and biopesticide novel products, has announced a licensing agreement with Corteva Inc. The agreement grants Corteva exclusive rights to further develop and commercialize the lead bio-fungicide product candidates targeting fruit rots and powdery mildew, which were discovered and developed by Lavie Bio. The agreement comes after two years of independent field validation conducted by both companies.

Fruit rots and powdery mildew, two destructive diseases affecting vineyards, fruits, and vegetables, have resulted in annual losses estimated at billions of dollars globally. Fruit rot pathogens, such as Botrytis, can cause damage upon contact with infected plant material. Meanwhile, powdery mildew spreads swiftly between plants via wind-dispersed spores.

The agreement is part of Lavie Bio’s strategy to cooperate with the world’s leading agritech companies, enabling its products to reach farmers worldwide. Corteva, with its proven ag biological capabilities, can leverage Lavie Bio’s product candidates towards commercial success. This collaboration demonstrates both companies’ commitment to providing farmers with environmentally friendly, sustainable products with proven effectiveness.

“Our licensing agreement solidifies the collaboration between both companies, leveraging Corteva’s impressive scale-up capabilities and market leadership, in conjunction with Lavie Bio’s distinctive discovery expertise powered by Evogene’s MicroBoost AI tech-engine and comprehensive product development capabilities,” said Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio. “This agreement not only highlights Lavie Bio’s technological capabilities but also enables us to swiftly introduce groundbreaking ag biological solutions that benefit farmers, consumers, and the environment.”

“When you have a world-class R&D program, like we do at Corteva Agriscience, it allows you to move fast and bring on new opportunities that will help farmers meet the demands of an ever-changing food system,” said Sam Eathington, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Digital Officer, Corteva Agriscience. “This agreement gives us yet another avenue to provide better solutions to farmers now, and in the future.”