San Diego, California, USA
June 24, 2025

Completion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program enables U.S. commercialization of alfalfa with an altered lignin profile offering potential improved digestibility for livestock and greater harvest flexibility for farmers.

Cibus, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBUS) (the “Company”), a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies, announced today that it has completed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program for its altered lignin alfalfa trait with the FDA notifying Cibus that it has no further questions concerning the use of altered lignin alfalfa in food or feed.

To develop altered lignin alfalfa, Cibus (formerly Calyxt, Inc.) collaborated with S&W Seed Company to identify an alfalfa trait with an altered lignin profile providing potential increased nutrient availability for livestock. This trait also gives farmers the added benefit of greater flexibility in harvest timing. The result is a higher value alfalfa produced on the same acre with the same inputs, putting greater profitability in the hands of the farmer.

Cibus Co-Founder and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Peter Beetham noted, “We are pleased to see that the FDA has reached the same conclusion as Cibus, that altered lignin alfalfa is suitable for use in food and feed applications and look forward to supporting S&W Seed Company to make this alfalfa forage quality enhancement trait available to farmers. Cibus is committed to advancing traits that not only enable farmers to maximize the value of their acreage but deliver benefits through the value chain. This is yet another example of that commitment.”

Brent Johnson, S&W Vice President of Sales & Marketing states, “S&W Seed Company is poised to offer the first commercial gene-edited alfalfa varieties to alfalfa growers in the United States. Commercial quantities will be available in two initial variety offerings, including a fall dormancy five variety and a fall dormancy seven variety. S&W Seed is excited to add this technology to our expanding trait portfolio. Seed of these two varieties will soon be made available for purchase and planting in the United States.”

The FDA has been operating the Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program since the 1990s to cooperatively work with developers of new plant varieties to help ensure foods made from their new varieties are safe and suitable for use prior to marketing. A developer who intends to commercialize food or feed from a new plant variety may meet with the agency to identify and discuss relevant product information to address any questions the FDA may have prior to going to market. In February 2024, the FDA published guidance for industry for food and feed products derived from plants developed through the use of gene editing. More on the FDA’s guidelines can be found at the following link here.

Published: June 24, 2025