PlantArcBio Ltd. announced the successful conclusion of the Regulatory Status Review (RSR) conducted by the USDA-APHIS. The review concluded that a modified soybean variety using PlantArcBio's genetic technology designed to confer resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) herbicides does not present a plant pest risk and, therefore, may be safely grown and bred in the United States. PPO herbicides play a vital role in weed control in many agricultural crops, and the incorporation of PPO herbicide tolerance in crops provides farmers with a powerful tool to manage weed pressure effectively.

PlantArcBio's novel PPO herbicide tolerant trait in soybean allows for the use of several classes of PPO herbicides to control resistant and hard-to-control weeds, providing a targeted and efficient approach to weed management without impacting the soybean crop itself. USDA/APHIS conducted a comprehensive evaluation as part of the RSR and found no plausible pathway by which PlantArcBio's modified soybean would pose an increased plant pest risk relative to conventional soybean plants The PPO herbicide tolerance gene was discovered using PlantArcBio's unique gene discovery technology Direct In Plant (DIP?), reinforcing the company's ability to discover desired traits to boost yields for some of the world's major crops. PlantArcBio remains steadfast in its mission to leverage its unique and powerful technology to discover and apply genes that improve plant traits, such as its drought tolerant and yield increasing genes, and that help farmers sustainably meet the growing demand for food worldwide.