Dow AgroSciences employs a multi-phase development process to discover, develop, and introduce new products. The process begins with the Discovery Stage. From the in-depth understanding of basic scientific disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, molecular biology and genetics, scientists at Dow AgroSciences first explore, design and identify potential candidates for insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, crop traits and plant-cell produced proteins.
In Pre-Development, using leading-edge technology and advanced science, Dow AgroSciences scientists then challenge the new candidates against business targets and fully characterize their behavior in a wide spectrum of environments. Product candidates that meet high hurdles proceed to be engineered for optimal and reduced risk performance through formulation and delivery systems prior to launch into the marketplace, where R&D continues to support them. R&D support is ongoing throughout the product's lifespan, including expansion into new markets or crops and re-registration activities.
To complete the process, it will take an agricultural chemical compound approximately 9-10 years from the time it enters Phase I of the Discovery Stage until Commercial Launch. This costs an average of $256 million, according to industry figures.
From gene discovery to commercial launch, development and registration of a new trait or stack of traits takes an average of 10 years and in excess of $100 million - and that figure is growing as we focus on increasingly more complex traits.
Learn about what innovative new products are in the various stages of our R&D pipeline.
