Biotalys has secured California registration for EVOCA, its protein-based biofungicide, in a move that strengthens the regulatory case for the company’s next-generation product, EVOCA NG.

 

The approval from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) follows a public consultation completed in July and marks a significant regulatory milestone for the Belgian agricultural technology company.

 

California is known for imposing some of the world’s toughest standards on crop protection products. Biotalys said the registration validates EVOCA’s performance, safety and environmental profile, while also providing regulatory precedent for its broader AGROBODY platform.

 

Carlo Boutton, Chief Executive Officer of Biotalys, commented: "This California registration is an important achievement for Biotalys. Meeting the state's demanding scientific and regulatory standards underscores the potential of our AGROBODY biocontrols, an entirely new class of protein-based crop protection solutions. Our ambition is to offer growers novel, safe and effective biological products that help them protect their crops and produce food more sustainably.

 

'EVOCA NG is one of the lead assets in our refocused strategy and is expected to become our first commercial product. As it is based on the same active ingredient and AGROBODY foundation as EVOCA, the California decision is highly relevant to its further development. It strengthens our confidence in bringing EVOCA NG to U.S. growers in 2029 and gives shareholders greater visibility on our commercialisation pathway and the long-term potential of our platform and pipeline."

 

The California registration adds to EVOCA’s regulatory progress in the United States. The product received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December 2025 and state registration in Florida earlier this year.

 

For Biotalys, the latest decision is particularly important because EVOCA and EVOCA NG share the same active ingredient and AGROBODY technology platform. The company expects the California approval to support the regulatory submission for EVOCA NG, which it plans to launch in the United States in 2029 and Europe in 2030.

 

EVOCA is designed to control Botrytis, or grey mold, and powdery mildew in fruit and vegetable crops. EVOCA NG is positioned as Biotalys’ first commercial biofungicide and is targeting a combined market estimated at about $1.1 billion.

 

The company is betting that its protein-based biocontrol technology can combine the effectiveness and scalability associated with conventional crop protection with the environmental advantages of biological products.