FARMAVET Universidad de Chile

What FARMAVET Universidad de Chile does

FARMAVET (Laboratorio de Farmacología Veterinaria) is a veterinary pharmacology research laboratory operating within the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Favet) at the Universidad de Chile. Founded in 2003 and headquartered at Av. Santa Rosa 11735, La Pintana, Santiago, the laboratory provides quantitative chemical analysis services and applied pharmacology research, with a core focus on the Chilean salmoniculture industry and adjacent livestock and equine testing markets. Its work centers on antimicrobial stewardship, residue monitoring, and dosing optimization, addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and food-safety regulatory requirements that affect Chilean aquaculture exports.

The laboratory's service portfolio is built around five core analytical capabilities: pharmaceutical residue analysis (antibiotics including florfenicol, oxytetracycline, amoxicillin, and ampicillin, plus steroids, stilbenes, and other veterinary drugs); dioxin, furan, and PCB congener testing; marine toxin detection (okadaic acid, pectenotoxins, azaspiracids, yessotoxins); heavy metals analysis (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead); and equine doping substance testing. Methodologies rely on conventional analytical chemistry instrumentation — LC-MS/MS, HPLC-FLUOR, HPLC-DAD, GC-MS/MS, GC-ECD, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry — and the laboratory operates under NCh-ISO 17025.Of2005 accreditation in three areas: animal food chemistry, hydrobiological products, and livestock products. Beyond fee-for-service testing, FARMAVET produces the Good Practices Manual for Chilean salmoniculture (editions 2010, 2014, 2019), delivers the Diplomado en Buenas Prácticas en el Uso de Antimicrobianos en la Salmonicultura professional training program, and — most distinctively — co-developed with SERNAPESCA the Online Veterinary Prescription System (PMV), a real-time prescription monitoring platform described as the first of its kind in the Americas.

FARMAVET is a wholly government-owned university entity with no external shareholders, private funding rounds, or investor disclosures. Revenue is generated through a mix of testing service agreements with private aquaculture producers (AquaChile, Australis, Cermaq, Mowi, Salmones Aysén via the Consejo del Salmón alliance), government contracts (SERNAPESCA, Ministry of Economy's PGSA program), research grants aligned with PGSA and SalmonChile, Diplomado tuition, and academic publications. In 2023, FARMAVET, together with the LIA and CRIA laboratories, was constituted as CASA — the OMSA Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Aquaculture — cementing its role as a regional reference center. The go-to-market approach is sales-led but relationship-driven, relying on direct service contracts, public-private alliances, and institutional partnerships rather than conventional commercial marketing channels.

Name

FARMAVET Universidad de Chile

Legal name

Laboratorio de Farmacología Veterinaria (FARMAVET), Universidad de Chile

Website

https://farmaco.veterinaria.uchile.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FARMAVET is the Veterinary Pharmacology Laboratory of Universidad de Chile, providing ISO 17025-accredited chemical contaminant testing, antimicrobial stewardship research, and regulatory advisory services for Chilean salmoniculture, government agencies, and aquaculture producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Analytical Laboratory Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (1152)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Drug & Antibiotic Residue Testing (AFALAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reference Laboratory Testing (Clinical Pathology & Chemistry) (HLAMADAA), Diagnostics & Laboratory Services (Sampling, Necropsy, Disease Investigation) (AFACADAF)

Keywords

• Veterinary laboratory testing
• Pharmaceutical residue analysis
• Antimicrobial stewardship aquaculture
• Chemical contaminant analysis
• ISO 17025 accredited

Headquarters

HQ city

La Pintana

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Analysis Services: FARMAVET provides quantitative chemical analysis services for detecting contaminants in animal tissues and foods, serving both public and private sector clients in the aquaculture and livestock industries

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

FARMAVET is a university-based veterinary pharmacology laboratory that provides accredited analytical testing services for chemical and pharmaceutical contaminants in animal-derived foods, salmon aquaculture products, and racing horses. Its service portfolio spans antibiotic, pesticide, hormone, dioxin/furan/PCB, marine biotoxin, heavy metal, and phytotherapeutic residue analyses, plus equine doping control, all operated under ISO 17025 accreditation. The laboratory also maintains the electronic Veterinary Prescription platform built with Chile's national fisheries authority (SERNAPESCA) and delivers continuing-education diploma programs for veterinary professionals.

Product overview

FARMAVET (Laboratorio de Farmacología Veterinaria) is a veterinary pharmacology laboratory at the Universidad de Chile with 20 years of experience in service, research, and teaching. The organization operates under ISO 17025 accreditation and provides analytical testing services for chemical contaminants in animal-derived foods. Its core product portfolio includes pharmaceutical residue analysis (antibiotics, pesticides, hormones), dioxin/furan/PCB testing, marine toxin detection, heavy metal analysis, and equine doping substance testing. Additionally, FARMAVET developed the Online Veterinary Prescription System for SERNAPESCA, offers educational programs including a diploma on antimicrobial best practices, and has published the Good Practices Manual for Chilean salmoniculture across multiple editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antibiotic Residue Analysis (SalmónLAB) Analytical service for detecting and quantifying antibiotic residues in salmon and other animal-derived foods, intended for Chilean salmon aquaculture producers and regulators requiring export-market compliance certification.
• Pesticide Residue Analysis Testing for pesticide residues in animal-derived food products, primarily serving salmon aquaculture exporters and national food-safety regulators.
• Hormone Residue Analysis Analytical detection of hormone residues in animal-derived foods, delivered to aquaculture producers and regulators verifying compliance with Chilean and international maximum residue limits.
• Dioxin, Furan and PCB Analysis Specialized testing for dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls in animal-derived foods and aquaculture products, used by salmon producers and government agencies for environmental contaminant surveillance.
• Marine Biotoxin Analysis Detection and quantification of marine toxins (phycotoxins) in aquaculture and shellfish products, providing tested-and-certified results to aquaculture operators and Chilean health regulators.
• Heavy Metal Analysis Analytical measurement of heavy metals in animal-derived foods and aquaculture products, supporting export-certification and food-safety compliance requirements for producers and regulators.
• Equine Doping/Antidoping Substance Testing Antidoping substance screening in horses competing in sanctioned equestrian events, delivered to the Chilean Equestrian Federation (ChileHorse) and racing stables as the official testing laboratory.
• Phytotherapeutic/Fisoterápicos Analysis Analytical testing of phytotherapeutic (plant-based) veterinary products used in aquaculture, used by salmon producers and developers of alternative veterinary treatments.
• Online Veterinary Prescription System (Receta Veterinaria Electrónica) Web-based veterinary prescription platform co-developed and operated by FARMAVET and SERNAPESCA, used by veterinarians working with Chilean aquaculture sites to issue electronic prescriptions for veterinary pharmaceuticals.
• Continuing-Education Diploma Programs in Veterinary Pharmacology University-affiliated diploma and continuing-education courses in veterinary pharmacology and related laboratory topics, targeted at practicing veterinarians seeking specialist post-graduate credentials.
• Good Practices Manual for Pharmaceutical Use in Salmon Production Published reference manual on good practices for pharmaceutical use in salmon aquaculture, distributed by FARMAVET as an educational and compliance aid for industry professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Florfenicol at 20 mg/kg body weight demonstrated >90% probability of therapeutic success against Piscirickettsia salmonis in Atlantic salmon
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CASA (Centro para la Gestión de Antimicrobianos en la Acuicultura)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023FARMAVET, along with LIA (Laboratorios de Inocuidad Alimentaria) and CRIA (Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Acuicultura), forms the Centro para la Gestión de Antimicrobianos en la Acuicultura (CASA), the OMSA Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Aquaculture. This initiative integrates multiple University of Chile laboratories including the Laboratorio de Genómica Acuícola de Favet, the Laboratorio de Genómica y Genética de Interacciones Biológicas del INTA, and the Laboratorio de Nutrición Animal de la Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas to provide comprehensive research capability in aquaculture antimicrobial management.
• Consejo del Salmón (Salmon Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Public-private alliance between Universidad de Chile (through CASA) and the Consejo del Salmón, representing salmon producers AquaChile, Australis, Cermaq, Mowi, and Salmones Aysén. The partnership aims to implement international standards, provide technical-scientific advisory services, training, research, and develop good practice programs for sustainable salmoniculture. Work areas include nutrition, feeding, biosecurity, animal welfare, and antimicrobial management aligned with the 'One Health' approach endorsed by WHO, FAO, and OMSA.
• SERNAPESCA (Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018Collaborative development and implementation of an online veterinary prescription system (Prescripciones Médico Veterinarias - PMV) for real-time monitoring of antimicrobial use in Chilean salmoniculture. This pioneering system, unique in the Americas, enables better control and transparency in antimicrobial prescriptions, supporting the National Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance. FARMAVET developed the platform while SERNAPESCA regulates its use for sea water salmonid production centers.
• Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y TurismocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through the Programa para la Gestión Sanitaria de la Acuicultura (PGSA), a national program aimed at improving sanitary management in aquaculture through research and development projects addressing antimicrobial use optimization and resistance prevention.
• SalmonChile (Asociación de la Industria del Salmón de Chile A.G.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partner in the PGSA program and the salmon antimicrobial stewardship alliance. Collaborates on research projects, best practice development, and training programs for responsible antimicrobial use in Chilean salmoniculture.
• FAO/OMS/OMSA (Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organizations endorsing and validating FARMAVET's work through the 'One Health' framework for antimicrobial stewardship. OMSA specifically designated Universidad de Chile's CASA as a Collaborating Centre with support from 182 member countries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SGS: SGS operates a global network of agricultural and food testing laboratories including aquaculture residue analysis. It competes for the same Chilean salmon industry contracts and international residue-testing market that FARMAVET serves.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is the world's largest food and feed testing network with dedicated aquaculture residue and contaminant panels (veterinary drugs, pesticides, mycotoxins, marine toxins). It is the closest large-scale private-sector analogue to FARMAVET's residue-testing mission in salmon and livestock markets.
• Neogen Corporation: Neogen specializes in food and animal safety testing, including residue diagnostic kits and laboratory services aligned to veterinary drug residues and feed contaminants. It is a relevant product-overlap peer for FARMAVET's residue and contaminant testing offerings.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas runs a Consumer Products and Agri-Food testing business covering veterinary drug residues, contaminants, and food-safety certification. Its service menu and target customers (food producers and exporters needing compliance testing) overlap directly with FARMAVET.

Broad incumbents

• ALS Global: ALS operates one of the world's largest analytical testing networks spanning environmental, food, pharmaceutical and agricultural samples. While broader than FARMAVET, its Life Sciences and Food/Feed testing divisions directly overlap with FARMAVET's residue and heavy metal work.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Mérieux NutriSciences (a Mérieux/Nestlé-adjacent business) provides food safety and quality testing services globally, including residue and contaminant analysis for animal-origin foods. Comparable to FARMAVET in testing scope but operating at much greater global scale.
• Intertek: Intertek is a global testing, inspection and certification company with agri-food testing capabilities, including aquaculture residue and contaminant analysis. It competes for international food-safety testing contracts alongside FARMAVET's local Chilean salmon industry work.
• IDEXX Laboratories: IDEXX is the leading veterinary diagnostics company worldwide, with reference laboratory and water/aquaculture testing services (notably for fish pathogens and water quality). It is a broader incumbent in veterinary lab services that intersects with FARMAVET's aquaculture testing niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farmavetuchile

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FARMAVET Universidad de Chile