March 3, 2026

For the third consecutive year, Greek authorities have granted farmers emergency access to Vestaron’s novel bioinsecticide, SPEAR® LEP, to help protect high-value tomato crops from devastating infestations of tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta). This latest Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) enables growers in Greece to continue managing severe pest pressure amid ongoing restrictions on traditional chemical crop protection products.

Tomato leafminer infestations can cause significant yield losses—up to 100 percent—in tomatoes and other susceptible crops. Under this new authorization, Greek growers will have access to SPEAR LEP for 120 days during the critical growing period. The approval window runs from February 18 through June 18, 2026.

SPEAR LEP, the world’s first peptide-based biological insecticide, delivers precision-targeted control of lepidopteran pests, including tomato leafminer, armyworm, codling moth, European grapevine moth, and other caterpillar species, while maintaining a favorable safety profile for mammals, vertebrates, pollinators, and beneficial insects.

The repeated authorization in Greece reflects both the severity of tomato leafminer pressure and the growing challenge of insect resistance to conventional synthetic insecticides. With increasing regulatory and market demands for environmentally responsible solutions, SPEAR LEP provides growers with a differentiated tool featuring a novel mode of action (IRAC Group 32) and no known cross-resistance with other pesticide classes.

This third consecutive EUA in Greece underscores Vestaron’s continued role in supporting growers with innovative, sustainable solutions to address urgent crop protection challenges.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Steve Betz, VP Communications • (515).707.6096 • sbetz@vestaron.com