Jan 13, 2022

Biotalys names manufacturing partner for new biofungicide

Biotalys, an agricultural technology company with protein-based biocontrol solutions, and contract manufacturer Olon recently announced a long-term strategic partnership for the manufacturing of Biotalys’ biocontrol products.

Biotalys’ newly-developed biofungicide, Evoca, is not yet for sale, but is planned for market introduction in the United States in the second half of 2022, pending regulatory approval, according to a news release from the company.

Evoca, aims to provide fruit and vegetable growers with a new rotation partner in integrated pest management (IPM) programs, according to the news release. It helps control diseases such as Botrytis and powdery mildew, thus reducing the dependency on chemical pesticides with corresponding residues in harvested produce while offering a distinctive new tool to manage pathogen resistance development.

Under the partnership, Olon will produce the active ingredient of Evoca at its world-class biotech manufacturing sites in Capua and Settimo Torinese (Italy), according to the news release. Relying on experience gained over more than 50 years, Olon’s expertise includes extensive know-how of microbial fermentation, one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable technologies capable of significantly reducing the overall environmental impact.

“With its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and processes, Olon will be able to provide us with the quantity of product we need for the planned market calibration while ensuring it meets all regulatory, quality and safety specifications,” Biotalys CEO Patrice Sellès said in the news release. “Upon formulation, the end product will give growers a new tool to use in integrated pest management programs to fight devastating fungal diseases in many fruits and vegetables.”

In Capua, Olon’s fermentation facility operates a range of bioreactors of up to 35m³, while the facility in Settimo Torinese envisages production in batches of up to 112m³ – far above the capacity reached until now for Biotalys’ products, according to the news release. This upscaling therefore signifies a major step forward in terms of production efficiency and scalability of protein-based biocontrols. Olon will both handle the fermentation process of the products developed by Biotalys in its laboratories in Ghent and purify them into the technical intermediate which will then be formulated by an external provider to create the end products.

“Biotalys’ protein-based biocontrols are a promising new class of products to help growers protect their crops in an environmentally sustainable way,” Paolo Tubertini, CEO of Olon, said in a news release. “They perfectly match with our long-term plan that focuses on novel biotech solutions and, consequently, the expansion of our capacity to support innovative biotech companies to accelerate the development of new products in a more sustainable way.”

Biotalys submitted Evoca for registration to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in the United States in December 2020 and to California in April 2021, for the state’s own in-depth review, according to the news release. In the European Union, Biotalys received confirmation from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the College for approval of crop protection products and biocides that the registration dossier submitted in March 2021 for the active substance of Evoca is admissible for review.