Vestland Pharma has changed its name to Osmare as the company prepares to move from testing to commercialisation of its salmon lice treatment during the coming year.
The company’s first product is a non-medicinal treatment used in wellboats. It works by creating an osmotic imbalance that causes sea lice to detach from salmon, allowing them to be flushed away with limited handling stress to the fish.
Osmare said the treatment has been tested in laboratories and in field trials in recent years, with positive results on both efficacy and fish health.
Chief executive Jan Rune Nordhagen said the company is now preparing to scale the product commercially. He will move into the role of chief technology officer as part of an organisational reshuffle.
The company has started recruiting a new chief executive and a sales director to lead commercial growth and market rollout.
Founded in 2020, the business counts investors including Sarsia and Coast Seafood among its shareholders.
The board has also been restructured, with Renate Larsen appointed chair.
Larsen said the company aims to move from development stage to full commercialisation over the next year and establish itself as a supplier of sustainable lice treatment solutions for the aquaculture industry.
Sverre Søraa, representing the company’s largest shareholder through Coast Seafood, said the sector needs new lice treatment options that combine effectiveness with fish welfare and lower environmental impact.
