Key Takeaways
- Cibus signed seven Rice customer agreements representing an estimated 5–7 million addressable acres and over $200 million in potential annual royalty opportunity.
- The company advanced its herbicide tolerance programs (HT1 and HT3) toward targeted commercial launches beginning in Latin America in 2027.
- Regulatory progress continued globally, including approvals and designations in the UK, Ecuador, and the United States.
- Q3 2025 net loss narrowed sharply to $24.3 million, compared to a $201.5 million loss in the prior year, driven by reduced expenses and absence of goodwill impairment.
- Cost-reduction measures lowered R&D and SG&A spending, supporting the company’s operational efficiency targets heading into 2026.
Cibus Highlights Commercial Momentum in Rice Herbicide Tolerance Program
Cibus reported third-quarter 2025 financial results and provided a business update reflecting progress across its priority rice trait programs. Interim CEO Peter Beetham said the company’s streamlined focus led to seven Rice customer agreements, representing significant long-term commercial potential. These agreements collectively represent 5–7 million addressable acres for the company’s HT1 and HT3 herbicide tolerance traits.
Beetham noted that expanded trait-editing capabilities and partnerships across Latin America support Cibus’ initial commercial launch target of 2027, with expansion into the United States in 2028 and India in 2030. The company also engaged AgVayā to develop its India market strategy and advanced multiple material-transfer agreements in the region.
Cibus Strengthens Regulatory Position in Key Markets
Global regulatory pathways for gene-edited crops continued to advance. Cibus participated in the UK’s Precision Bred Organism review process ahead of the November 2025 regulatory framework launch. In Ecuador, regulators determined the HT1 and HT3 rice traits are equivalent to conventionally bred seed, clearing a path for future commercialization. In the United States, USDA-APHIS designated the company’s HT2 canola trait as “not regulated,” representing the 17th such designation for Cibus.
Reports Lower Operating Costs and Reduced Quarterly Loss
For the quarter ending September 30, 2025, Cibus reported cash and equivalents of $23.9 million, with sufficient resources to fund operations into early Q2 2026. R&D expenses declined to $10.8 million from $13.0 million, while SG&A fell to $5.3 million from $7.7 million. Net loss improved significantly to $24.3 million, compared to a $201.5 million loss in the same quarter last year, which included a substantial goodwill impairment.
The company continues to evaluate strategic alternatives through its board’s strategy committee while advancing preparations for future product launches.
Cibus
Cibus operates within the plant seed industry, focusing on high-throughput gene editing technologies designed to develop plant traits with greater precision and efficiency compared to conventional breeding. Rather than producing seeds, the company develops and licenses traits to seed companies, generating royalties from seed sales.
The company’s work targets productivity traits intended to improve yield, reduce input costs, and support sustainable farming practices. Its pipeline includes traits such as pod shatter resistance, disease resistance, and nutrient use efficiency, with a focus on multi-crop applications that could be deployed across more than 100 million acres.
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