Feb 26, 2019

Spear-LEP by Vestaron receives California registration approval

Vestaron, a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company dedicated to improving the safety, efficacy and sustainability of crop protection through migration from chemical pesticides to biologic peptides, has received registration approval for California of its recently launched product Spear-LEP.

Spear-LEP is Vestaron’s bioinsecticide for fruit, nuts, and high-value crops in the field and greenhouses. Targeting lepidopteran pests such as loopers, worms and caterpillars, field trials of Spear-LEP demonstrate results equal to or better than conventional insecticides.

“Registration in California is exciting for both Vestaron and our growers. Spear-LEP will provide access to a new mode of action allowing them additional rotational options to protect their high-value crops from the major insects,” said Ben Cicora, SVP of marketing and sales. “Receiving this timely registration in California will allow growers to work this novel technology into their integrated pest management programs throughout the 2019 growing season.

With the addition of California, the Spear-LEP product is now available in all 50 states.

“The launch of Spear-LEP, the first product in the Spear family aimed at field use, is evidence that we are delivering on our objective of bringing a pipeline of safe, environmentally friendly, peptide-based biologic insecticides to market,” said Anna Rath, CEO of Vestaron.

Vestaron is a company dedicated to improving the safety, efficacy and sustainability of crop protection through displacement of chemical pesticides with biological peptides. Vestaron is initially focused on a class of peptides that kills insect pests efficiently, but is safe for humans, birds, fish and the environment. As part of this, the company has developed fermentation-based peptide production and insect resistant crop platform that will allow it to develop a wide variety of biologic crop protection and trait products. Vestaron’s Spear was the winner of the inaugural 2015 Bernard Blum Award for novel biocontrol solutions. More information at www.vestaron.com.