SOLASTA Bio passes milestones on road to market

SOLASTA Bio, a leading agri-biotech company and a spin-out from the University of Glasgow specialising in the next generation of green insecticides, has passed a major inflection point with two significant developments which accelerate its path to regulatory approval and commercialisation. 

The company behind the world’s first technology platform for creating nature-inspired, small peptide-based insect control agents, has received its first patent grant, with additional patents expected to follow, while also securing a favourable biochemical-like classification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its lead peptide candidates. 

Control

SOLASTA Bio’s technology is based on insect neuropeptides, which control essential physiological functions. By disrupting these functions in target pests such as aphids, the bioinsecticides kill pest species while being safe for the environment and friendly pollinators such as bees. 

The patent allowances from the US and European Patent Office cover SOLASTA Bio’s novel peptide candidates, strengthening the company’s intellectual property position and commercial strategy. These patents provide crucial protection for the company’s technology as it moves toward product development and commercialization. 

In a parallel breakthrough, the EPA has classified SOLASTA Bio’s lead peptide candidates as biochemical-like, a designation that significantly streamlines the regulatory approval process. This classification exempts the company’s products from the conventional insecticide registration pathway, reducing both the time and cost associated with bringing its green insecticides to market. 

Shireen Davies, CEO Co-Founder, SOLASTA Bio said: “These developments represent a major inflection point for SOLASTA Bio. The combination of strong patent protection and a more efficient regulatory pathway positions us exceptionally well to advance our product development and reach full commercialisation within a few years.

'Transform'

"Our technology has the potential to transform the global crop protection market, and we are now one giant stride closer to realising that vision.” 

These latest milestones achievements build on SOLASTA Bio’s strong momentum following an oversubscribed $14 million (£10.7m) Series A funding round in September 2024. The round attracted leading agricultural and life science investors, including Forbion BioEconomy Fund, FMC Ventures and Corteva Catalyst, underscoring industry confidence in the company’s technology. 

Founded in 2020, SOLASTA Bio develops has developed the world's first technology platform for creating micro-peptide based Insect Control Agents (ICAs) that are nature-inspired rather than selected from a synthetic chemistry library. SOLASTA’s environmentally-friendly ICAs meet a global need for new and effective crop protection, while preserving the ecosystem by protecting beneficial pollinators such as bees. 

• Title image: Shireen Davies CEO and co-founder SOLASTA Bio (pic credit Andrew Cawley)