Press Release

CINCINNATI, Ohio, November 21, 2016 — Agragen, LLC, a Cincinnati-based plant sciences company, today announced the licensing of a family of patents from DuPont Pioneer that focuses on technology for manipulating the fatty acid profile in plants.

Agragen is developing a high-yield camelina, commonly known as false flax, which will produce the same bioactive omega-3 fatty acids as found in fish oil.

“By sustainably producing these bioactive fatty acids, which are so important for human health and disease, we can reduce the strain on their traditional, marine-based sources,” said Sam Huttenbauer, Jr., chief development officer of Agragen. “Licensing this technology from DuPont Pioneer will allow us to make a major step toward bringing this long-held corporate goal to fruition.”

“DuPont Pioneer has a long history of collaborations that advance science,” said Tony Kinney, research director, DuPont Pioneer. “It’s gratifying to know our technology for modifying plant oils could further Agragen’s on-going efforts to find a renewable source of omega-3 fatty acids.”

Agragen also recently licensed technology from The University of Hong Kong that will enable its on-going efforts to improve camelina yield and enhance its drought tolerance.

“Combining these two technologies gives Agragen a global leadership position in producing heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in camelina, in a highly economical manner,” said Eric J. Murphy, chief science officer, Agragen. “When developing a sustainable product, we know adoption often depends on the product’s potential for profit. By combining these technologies with the DuPont Pioneer technology, the yield per acre over traditional camelina will be enhanced, providing a logistical and agronomic advantage over others in this space.”

Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

DuPont Pioneer (www.pioneer.com) is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. Science with Service Delivering Success®.

Agragen, LLC is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based plant sciences company focused on using Camelina sativa as a platform to produce fatty acids for use in human health and disease as well as a sustainable feedstock for bio-derived jet fuel.