Biotalys reports board change and California milestone for EVOCA

Biotalys announced a board leadership change and a regulatory milestone for its protein-based biofungicide EVOCA, with longtime board member Patrick Van Beneden retiring and California regulators advancing the product’s registration review.

Van Beneden retired from the company’s board of directors effective June 30 after serving as a non-executive director since Biotalys was founded in 2013. During his tenure, he helped guide the company from an early-stage VIB spin-off to a publicly traded agricultural technology company. Simon Moroney, chairman of the board, said Van Beneden’s experience and commitment supported Biotalys through key stages of its development and growth.

The company also announced progress in the regulatory review of EVOCA in California. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Pesticide Registration Branch opened a 30-day public comment period after the department’s Human Health Assessment Branch concluded that the data submitted by Biotalys support registration of the biofungicide.

The public comment period is scheduled to close July 26. Following its review of submitted comments, the department is expected to continue the registration process with a final regulatory decision anticipated during the second half of 2026.

California is the largest agricultural state in the U.S. and is a major producer of strawberries, tomatoes and grapes. Earlier this year, Biotalys received regulatory approval for EVOCA in Florida, marking the company’s first U.S. state approval for a biofungicide.

Carlo Boutton, chief executive officer of Biotalys, said the California review represents an important step in bringing the company’s protein-based crop protection technology to one of the world’s largest agricultural markets.