Ecogen Inc. of Langhorne, Pa., is expected to announce today afive-year agreement with Chevron Chemical Co., grantingChevron's Ortho consumer products division non-exclusiverights to distribute Ecogen's biological insecticide, Condor.

Ortho claims to be the No. 1 supplier of consumer garden andlawn care products with approximately 40 percent share of the$100 million U.S. market.

The agreement marks Ecogen's (NASDAQ:EECN) entry into theconsumer market. The company has focused on the agriculturalmarket.

Ortho will distribute Condor under the name Bt Biospray withCondor through its Orthoganic line, which featuresenvironmentally compatible products.

Condor is a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based bioinsecticide thathas been sold to commercial farmers and growers since 1990.It protects vegetable plants, trees and shrubs againstcaterpillar pests without harming humans, pets or wildlife.

Other Ecogen commercial products, such as Foil against potatopests and Cutlass for vegetables, will be considered for theconsumer market, said Peter Stevens, Ecogen's chief financialofficer. Both Foil and Cutlass are Bt-based insecticides that havereceived FDA marketing approval.

-- Steve Payne BioWorld Staff

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