Bio-Gene and STK to collaborate on crop protection products based on plant extract

Australian biotech Bio-Gene Technology and Israeli ag-input company STK Bio-AG Technologies have signed an agreement giving STK world-wide non-exclusive licence to develop Bio-Gene's Qcide^TM for crop protection applications.

Qcide is a natural oil product extracted from a rare cultivar of an Australian eucalypt.

"Under the proposed agreement, STK intends to fully fund registration costs relating to the Qcide active ingredient. This will include required efficacy and toxicology studies, field trials, the generation of manufacturing data and preparation of the regulatory submission,” says Bio-Gene in its statement.

“While STK would have ownership of the resulting registration, Bio-Gene will continue to own the IP relating to Qcide. Bio-Gene has unlimited access to the registration and can work with other commercial partners to develop and commercialise products in all market segments, including those licenced to STK on a non-exclusive basis.”

The collaboration will also see STK use its existing expertise and capabilities in plantations and extraction technology to develop a secondary manufacturing and supply source for Qcide.

STK produces a hybrid product called REGEV that incorporates a botanical extract with a synthetic pesticide difenoconazole in a liquid formulation.
Bio-Gene CEO, Richard Jagger said: “STK has been working intensively with our technology for some time now, and the data they have obtained give both companies great confidence in the applicability for STK’s target markets. Not only does STK see the commercial potential for our technology, but they see the benefit in collaborating with Bio-Gene to accelerate the registration process; to invest in an additional production base; and to explore mutually beneficial marketing arrangements.”