Lavie Bio Announces Biofungicide Licensing Agreement with Corteva

Lavie Bio Ltd., a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd., announced a licensing agreement with Corteva Inc. The agreement gives Corteva exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the leading biofungicide product candidates targeting fruit rot and powdery mildew that have been discovered and developed by Lavie Bio. The agreement comes after two years of independent field validation conducted by both companies.

Fruit rot and powdery mildew, two destructive diseases that affect vineyards, fruits and vegetables, have resulted in annual losses estimated at billions of dollars worldwide. Fruit rot pathogens, such as Botrytis, can cause damage when they come into contact with infected plant material. Meanwhile, powdery mildew spreads quickly among plants through wind-dispersed spores.

The agreement is part of Lavie Bio's strategy to cooperate with the world's leading companies to enable the products it develops to reach farmers around the world and Corteva, with its proven agrobiological capabilities, can leverage Lavie Bio's product candidates to commercial success. This collaboration demonstrates both companies' commitment to providing farmers with sustainable, environmentally friendly tools with proven effectiveness.

“Our licensing agreement solidifies the collaboration between the two companies, leveraging Corteva's impressive expansion capabilities and market leadership, together with Lavie Bio's distinctive discovery expertise, powered by Evogene's MicroBoost AI technology engine and comprehensive of product development,” said Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio.

“This agreement not only highlights Lavie Bio’s technological capabilities, but also allows us to quickly introduce innovative agrobiological solutions that benefit farmers, consumers and the environment. ”

“When you have a world-class R&D program, like we have at Corteva Agriscience, it allows you to move quickly and bring new opportunities that will help farmers meet the demands of an ever-changing food system,” said Sam Earthington, vice -executive president, chief technology officer and chief digital officer of Corteva Agriscience.

“This agreement gives us another path to providing better solutions to farmers now and in the future.”