Kalamazoo, Michigan, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vestaron Crop Protection, a leader in peptide-based bioinsecticides, proudly announces that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved BASIN™ bioinsecticide for outdoor agricultural use. This approval expands BASIN’s label beyond indoor and greenhouse crops, giving growers a powerful new tool to manage pests across high-value crops. It marks the second new active ingredient commercialized by the company in six years.
Derived from a modified spider venom peptide, BASIN introduces a new mode of action to insect management, providing highly effective control of key lepidopteran pests, such as navel orangeworm and diamondback moth, as well as soft-bodied insects, including aphids, mites, Drosophila, and whiteflies. With an MRL exemption and a strong safety profile, BASIN is soft on pollinators, workers, beneficials, and biodiversity, enabling growers to meet production and sustainability goals.
Recent independent field trial data confirm that BASIN delivers equal or superior performance to leading commercial standards in controlling resistant and difficult-to-manage pests. In replicated trials, BASIN and Vestaron’s flagship insecticide, SPEAR® LEP, consistently matched conventional insecticides in yield protection and crop quality, while offering growers critical resistance-management benefits. Together, the two products create a powerful new rotation option in growers’ Insect Pest Management (IPM) programs.
“Outdoor approval of BASIN is a defining moment not only for Vestaron, but for the crop protection industry and the future of peptide technology,” said Juan Estupinan, CEO and President of Vestaron. “We are delivering another first-in-class bioinsecticide to market within six years, proving that sustainable innovation can keep pace with grower needs.”
“BASIN demonstrates the depth and versatility of our peptide discovery platform,” said Dr. Bob Kennedy, Chief Scientific Officer at Vestaron. “We’re building a robust pipeline of bioinsecticides with novel modes of action, each designed to give growers the efficacy they demand and the sustainability the market requires. Our R&D platform is showing it can reliably generate solutions that reshape what crop protection looks like for the next generation.”
The outdoor approval builds on Vestaron’s rapid global growth trajectory. In the U.S., SPEAR LEP is proven on more than 1 million acres and continues to capture market share in specialty crops. In Europe, Vestaron has achieved 10 Emergency Use Authorizations across four countries in just 24 months, a remarkable pace that demonstrates both regulatory momentum and strong grower demand for peptide-based solutions.
About Vestaron
Vestaron is leading a global revolution in crop protection by creating novel, effective, and sustainable solutions our customers need to meet the growing challenges of modern agriculture. Founded in 2005 and headquartered the U.S., we are producing a pipeline of powerful insecticides with new modes of action based on peptides modified from the venom of spiders and other venomous animals that enhance any IPM program. Naturally soft on pollinators, beneficials, and local biodiversity, our innovations have earned recognition from the Crop Science Awards and the EPA’s Green Chemistry Challenge. Vestaron is the first agriculture and food company inducted into the Global CleanTech 100 Hall of Fame. Vestaron: Unconventional, by nature.SM
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Steve Betz Vestaron +1 515 707 6096 sbetz@vestaron.com
