Elanco’s novel in-feed treatment has been approved for the prevention and control of sea lice in salmon and trout in Chile. Sea lice are a significant challenge for salmon farmers, and this new breakthrough tool offers an innovative, long-acting treatment alternative. Chile is the first country to grant marketing authorization to the treatment.

The approval in Chile follows the completion of a series of studies, demonstrating its efficacy against Caligus rogercresseyi, the most common louse species impacting salmonid farms in Chile.  The study demonstrated that salmon treated with the medication remained below the Chilean industry regulated threshold for an extended period of time, compared to the untreated group, which exceeded the threshold five times in the same period.

“After years of dedicated research working with farmers and industry experts, Elanco is proud to bring this much-needed treatment to salmon farms in Chile, and is working hard to bring it to other markets around the world,” said Carlos Kuada, Global Head of Aqua Business, Elanco Animal Health. “Managing these parasites is a constant strain on salmon farmers – it is time consuming, cumbersome, and stressful to both fish and farmers. This option can help provide relief from sea lice management for an extended period of time, alleviating that stress.”

The treatment is given in feed to fish in fresh water before they are transferred to the sea. Studies have shown that it inhibits the formation of chitin in sea lice, which prevents the lice from developing into adults. 

Fish treated with the medication are already accepted for trade with major export markets, including the US, EU, Norway, Chile, Japan and Brazil. Elanco is currently working with authorities in other countries to help bring this potentially important solution to market as soon as possible.