AMOEBA (EPA:ALMIB) - AMOEBA: the efficacy of the biocontrol solution against grapevine downy mildew confirmed through the second European field trials campaign

Transparency directive : regulatory news

27/07/2020 08:00

PRESS RELEASE

Amoéba: the efficacy of the biocontrol solution against grapevine downy mildew
confirmed through the second European field trials campaign.

Chassieu (France), july 27 2020 - AMOEBA (FR0011051598 - AMEBA), - producer of
a biological biocide capable of eliminating the risk in water and human wounds,
and of a biocontrol product for plant protection, still in the testing phase,
announces that the results of the second field trials campaign against
grapevine downy mildew validate, for the second consecutive year, the efficacy
of its biocontrol solution.

Second test campaign in Europe on downy mildew in grapevine

Following the very promising results obtained in 2019 during the first field
trials campaign against grapevine downy mildew, Amoéba has just completed its
second trials campaign in Europe.

These trials were carried out on behalf of Amoeba by accredited service
providers, in several European countries (France: 14 trials / Italy: 3 trials /
Germany: 1 trial) and according to protocols recommended by EPPO(1) .

These trials were conducted either under natural conditions or, more often,
with artificial contamination to trigger the disease and a misting system to
maintain the wet conditions favorable to the downy mildew development, even
during dry periods.

Trial protocols included up to two reference products (third-party products
with a marketing authorization) and an untreated control:
1. Bordeaux mixture (copper sulphate) was routinely used as the conventional
   reference product at its maximum authorized dose or, in 5 trials, at a dose
   varying during the season and close to the practice.
2. A recently authorized and marketed biocontrol product of natural origin was
   added in some trials as a biocontrol reference.
3. An untreated control was used to measure the intensity of disease in the
   absence of protection and, by comparison, to measure the efficacy of
   experimental and reference products.

Three experimental products containing the bio-fungicidal active substance of
Amoeba (lysate of the amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky) were tested: a wettable
powder with 60% active substance and 2 liquid suspension concentrates with 20%
active substance.

The wettable powder is an improvement of the best-performing formulation in
2019, the suspension concentrates are two new formulations that have been
validated under controlled conditions (climatic chamber) during 2019-2020
winter.

The products were applied every 7 to 10 days. Such protocol essentially allows
the intrinsic performance of the tested products to be measured and compared,
but gives only a partial indication of the possibilities of practical use.

The main objectives were to:

(1) EPPO: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization

1. flesh out the effective dose under agronomic conditions
2. compare formulations
3. measure the performance of experimental products combined with a very low
   dose of copper (tank-mixes).

Climatic conditions: a "downy mildew year" in the South

After a mild winter and a warm spring, the grapevine was particularly advanced
in 2020, 1 even 2 weeks ahead of the average of the last 30 years, which is
considerable.

In the South and South-West of France as well as in the North of Italy, several
episodes of very heavy rainfall (cumulative rainfall of 200 mm or more) during
the month of May led to particularly intense downy mildew contaminations while
the grapevine - due to the earliness of the vintage - was then in flowering,
the most sensitive stage. In Languedoc, Provence, Bordeaux and Gascogne for
example, the disease caused serious damage and winegrowers found it difficult
to provide acceptable protection during the month of June, despite the wide
range of conventional products available.

Thus, 2020 has been a "downy mildew year" in the South, putting fungicide
products to the test, a much more difficult situation than in 2019.

On the other hand, the vineyards located further north (Beaujolais, Champagne,
Alsace, Loire Valley for example, as well as Germany) experienced a much drier
spring, with downy mildew being naturally scarcely present.

Results of the second test campaign

Generally, the efficacy of Amoeba experimental products on leaves is, on
average, superior to the efficacy of the biocontrol reference (authorized
product).

Concerning bunch protection, the 2020 results confirm the 2019 observations,
with a particularly remarkable protection for a biocontrol product (regularly
above 50% efficacy (35-85%) even under exceptional disease pressure).

It should be noted that:
- in the event of a strong attack at flowering time, the efficacy on mildew on
  "grey rot" facies may be limited, although it is greater than the efficacy of
  the biocontrol reference product.
- even in difficult situations, efficacy on mildew on "brown rot" facies, which
  develops later on berries, is particularly robust.

These performances on bunches remain lower than that of copper sulphate at its
full dose but is, in most trials, significantly higher than the performances of
the biocontrol reference: up to over 30%.

It should also be noted that, in two trials, the exceptional climatic situation
(in particular the centennial rainfall on 11 May in a trial near Bordeaux) led
to massive contamination at the time of grapevine flowering and, in these two
trials, Amoéba's experimental products, like the biocontrol reference, showed
only limited and transient efficacy (of about 20-30%) under these exceptional
conditions.

Positioning the treatment as close as possible to the contaminating rainfall
seems to be a key success factor.

As the 2019 trials suggested, the improved formulations of this year determined
that the optimal dose rate, even in highly contaminated situations, is between
500 g and 1000 g of active substance per hectare.

In a majority of the comparative trials, the liquid suspension concentrate
formulations were slightly superior to the wettable powder formulation at the
same dose of active substance.

Mixtures of Amoeba's experimental products with copper at reduced doses
performed very well in all cases, providing a high level of protection.
However, it is relatively difficult to demonstrate additivity between the
active substance and copper, as copper alone often provided good protection
even at low dose rates in tests. Such additivity could however be statistically
established in a particularly infested Italian trial (98% bunch damage in the
control, and 62% efficacy for mixtures with copper, whereas - at equivalent
dose - copper alone was 48% and the suspension concentrate at 43% efficacy).

Conclusion: performance on bunches is confirmed and unprecedented for a natural
biocontrol product.

This 2020 testing campaign took place under frequently difficult conditions,
with an intense disease pressure in May and June, which made it possible to
demonstrate the effectiveness of the active substance: the results of 2020 are
perfectly consistent with those of 2019. This stability of performance between
2 very different years is a major strength for a plant protection product in
general, and for a biocontrol product in particular.

These results make it possible to know the optimal dose, and already approach
a positioning of the product in the season: it will be privileged at the very
beginning of the cycle, then in period of post flowering.

The good results of combinations with a reduced dose of copper open up
prospects for organic farmers in particular, especially if the re-registration
of copper at the European level, scheduled for 2026, leads to a reduction of
the maximum authorized dose. These results also indicate that this new active
substance should make it possible to significantly reduce the use of chemical
fungicides in many situations, while ensuring good plant protection.

The partners, who signed a Material Transfer Agreement with Amoéba at the
beginning of the year (refer to press release dated April 29,2020), wishing to
visit these trials were able to do so. A full report will be presented to them
in mid-September.

" With these first 2 years of field experimentation, Amoéba has totally
fulfilled its objectives in the evaluation of its new active substance on downy
mildew in grapevine. We now know a precise range of the maximum use dose of the
substance, as well as its main characteristics and its high level of
performance for a biocontrol product. As the European dossier for the active
substance was submitted in May, with a response expected in late 2022/early
2023, we now have two years -2021 and 2022- to confirm these results with
definitive formulations. In accordance with the schedule already announced, new
efficacy trials, required for the application for authorization of formulated
products, will be carried out and the results submitted to the Member States
once the active substance will be approved" explains Jean-Luc SOUCHE, Business
Developer plant protection at Amoéba.

About AMOEBA:
Amoéba's ambition is to become a major player in the treatment of bacterial
risk in the fields of water, healthcare and plant protection. Our biological
solution is an alternative to chemical products widely used today. Amoéba is
currently focusing on the market of industrial cooling towers estimated at
EUR1.7Bn (1) on a global chemical biocide market for water treatment, evaluated
at EUR21Bn (2) and on the biocontrol market for plant protection estimated
globally at EUR1.6Bn (4). In the future, the Company is looking at developing
new applications such as chronic wound care, estimated at EUR 751 million (3)
in the USA. Sales of associated products with healthcare, biocides and crop
protection are subject to the Company being granted local regulatory market
authorizations. The Company is currently in a trial phase for biocidal and
plant protection applications and does not market any products.

Created in 2010, based in Chassieu (Lyon, France) with a subsidiary in Canada
and in the United States, Amoéba is quoted on the compartment C of Euronext
Paris. The Company is a member of the BPIfrance Excellence network and is
eligible for the PEA-PME SME equity savings plan setup. More information on
www.amoeba-biocide.com.

(1) : Amoéba data combined from sources: DRIRE 2013, Eurostat, ARHIA 2013
(2) : Sources combined by Amoéba from water treaters, Freedonia, Eurostat et
MarketsandMarkets
(3): BCC Research, "Markets for Advanced Wound Management
Technologies," Wellesley, MA, 2017
(4): Biopesticides Worldwide Market 2013, CPL, Wallingford, UK

Contacts:

Amoéba
Valérie FILIATRE
General Manager
+33 (0)4 26 69 16 00
valerie.filiatre@amoeba-biocide.com

Investors and Media Relations
Grégory BOSSON / Mathieu CALLEUX
Agence Calyptus
+33(0)1 53 65 37 90
gregory.bosson@calyptus.net

Disclaimer
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning
AMOEBA which are based on its own assumptions and hypothesis and on information
that are available to us. However, AMOEBA gives no assurance that the estimates
contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates
are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the Universal
Registration Document of AMOEBA filed with the French Financial Markets
Authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) on April 30, 2020 under number
D20-0416 (a copy of which is available on www.amoeba-biocide.com). The
forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to
risks not yet known to AMOEBA or not currently considered material by AMOEBA.
The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results,
financial conditions, performance or achievements of AMOEBA to be materially
different from such forward-looking statements.

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AMOEBA (EPA:ALMIB) - AMOEBA: the efficacy of the biocontrol solution against grapevine downy mildew confirmed through the second European field trials campaign

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