French and American biotech company Micropep is one step closer to commercializing its peptide-based bio-fungicide, Promisin, having first submitted for regulatory approval in Paraguay and then in Brazil, with the product expected to hit the market in 2027.
Launched in 2016, Micropep developed a novel mode of action to treat Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi), target spot (Corynespora cassiicola), and leaf blight (Cercospora kikuchii) using antimicrobial peptides that disrupt fungal cell membranes, thereby reducing infection pressure. The bio-fungicide can be used as a standalone disease treatment or used to enhance spraying programs, compatible with sprayers and tank mixes.
Micropep is producing 75,000 liters of biologicals through E. coli fermentation, where peptides are then extracted. The company has “great confidence” that it can produce at even larger scales, Mikael Courbot, CTO at Micropep, told AgNavigator.
The biotech startup uses its AI-based Krisalix platform to develop peptide-based crop protection products and is exploring treatments for invasive weeds, insects, and plant diseases, Courbot said. Micropep is focusing on soybeans first and moving into potatoes and grapes, he added.
“We are not a bio-fungicide company. We are a bio-solution company ─ a bio-control company ─ using peptides as a means to deliver efficacy, and the first product will be a bio-fungicide, ... In the pipeline, we have other bio-fungicides coming through, and we are also now very strongly pushing on bio-herbicides,” Courbot elaborated.
Given the favorable regulatory environment compared to the U.S. and Europe, Micropep decided on “a soft landing” in Paraguay, while Brazil’s soybean market is attractive given the country’s soybean production, Courbot noted.
Initially, Micropep was headquartered in France but opened an office in the U.S. in 2022, following its Series A round. Though launching in Latin America (LatAm) first, the biotech company does not see it as a shift away from either the U.S. or Europe but rather meeting opportunities in other markets, Courbot emphasized.
“It’s not a pivot from the U.S. to the LatAm. It’s really complementary. I still believe it was right to come to the U.S. because it gave us the visibility that we needed at that time,” Courbot said.
