Syngenta, DuPont sign agreement for access to broad insect control technology in corn

Basel, Switzerland/ Wilmington, Del., USA, February 2008

Syngenta and DuPont today announced a global agreement that will provide DuPont business, Pioneer Hi-Bred, access to Syngenta’s novel insect control corn event, MIR162. Under the royalty-bearing agreement, Syngenta will grant Pioneer a non-exclusive, global license with stacking rights to MIR162. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased with this important commitment which further demonstrates the quality of Syngenta’s biotech trait pipeline,” said Davor Pisk, Chief Operating Officer Syngenta Seeds. “This agreement will accelerate the rapid adoption of Syngenta proprietary technology to better protect growers’ corn crops worldwide.”

“With access to this trait, we have a great new tool to build on our insect control product offerings,” said Paul E. Schickler, DuPont Vice President and General Manager and President of Pioneer. “The addition of MIR162 to our already strong insect control trait portfolio will provide growers with a superior product choice in controlling the broadest range of insect pests.”

MIR162 is currently in the regulatory review process in the United States and the major corn export markets. It is expected to receive US regulatory approval by the end of the year.

MIR162 will protect corn above the ground by delivering high-level control of a broad spectrum of lepidopteran insects including fall army worm, corn ear worm, western bean and black cut worm and sugar cane borer, which are key pests in the United States, Brazil and Argentina. The gene contained in MIR162 has a distinct mode of action that is structurally and functionally different from the genes contained in insect control technologies currently in the marketplace.


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