Discover Virbac
Focusing on animal health, From the beginning 

In the 1960s, the various preparations manufactured by human pharmaceutical laboratories at that time did not make it possible to treat all the animal diseases. In 1968, while these major groups were looking to invest in animal health, Pierre-Richard Dick, a veterinary doctor in Nice, drew upon his training at the Pasteur Institute to devise and develop new medications. He founded Virbac with a desire to provide veterinarians, farmers and pet owners worldwide with a set of innovative solutions to fight animal diseases.

Now present in more than 100 countries, Virbac has maintained its independence and its essence. Linking the needs of caregivers with the latest technological advances, our innovation ecosystem delivers a practical range of products and services to diagnose, prevent and treat the majority of pathologies, all while improving the quality of life for animals. Thanks to our offer, supported by a manufacturing base that meets the highest international quality standards, Virbac has been forging personalized relationships with veterinarians, farmers and pet owners in each country for more than 50 years. Through these privileged partnerships, in which societal, health and environmental issues intersect, Virbac contributes day after day to shaping the future of animal health.

 

Know more about Virbac Group
Virbac Group

Virbac Group

With these innovative solutions covering the majority of animal species and diseases, Virbac contributes, day after day, to shape the future of animal health.

Founder

Founder

From a small biology research center established in 1968 in a three-room apartment in Nice to the world’s 7th largest laboratory, a look back at the beginnings of great human adventure.

Values

Values

Nurture entrepreneurship, stimulate innovation, demonstrate our engagement, foster a customer-driven approach, pay attention to people and choose sustainability...

History

1968

1970

1970

1973

1977

1982

1982

1985

1987

1988

1989

1991

1992

1992

1996

1998

1999

1999

2001

2001

2001

2006

2006

2008

2008

2010

2012

2015

2015

2016

2017

2017

2017

2018

2018

2018

2018

2019

2020

1968

PRD.pngPierre-Richard Dick, a French veterinarian, creates the SARL Virbac biological research center.

1970

1970.pngWe take our first steps internationally thanks to distribution partnerships in Benelux and the Federal Republic of Germany.

1970

COLLIER.pngWe develop the first insecticide collar for dogs, which would later become one of our flagship products.

1973

batiment-construction.pngWe take a new step forward with the construction of the building of our future headquarters in Carros, near Nice, quickly adding a production and storage unit and a loading dock.

1977

rilexine.pngWe make available in France the first cephalosporin in veterinary medicine (for dogs, cats and cattle), thus providing an alternative to the cephalosporins derived from human pharmaceuticals.

1982

parvovirus.pngIn response to the viral gastroenteritis epidemic decimating dog breeding, we create the first parvovirus-based vaccine approved for dogs, thus entering the very exclusive club of innovative vaccine-developing laboratories.

1982

filiale-allemagne.pngThe opening of our first subsidiary in Germany, following acquisition of local distributor VMG, marks the beginning of our deployment in Europe.

1985

bourse.pngNumber-two French animal health laboratory, we start to trade on the secondary market of the Paris stock exchange.

1987

allerderm.pngWith the acquisition of Allerderm Inc., we propel ourselves into the United States market. A specialist in the new veterinary dermatology market, we become the world leader a few years later.

1988

leucogen.pngBy designing the first genetically engineered vaccine against feline leukemia made from a purified p45 FeLV-envelope retrovirus, we provide veterinarians with an effective solution against a disease in cats for which there was no cure at the time.

1989

imperial-dog.pngWe open a new door with the acquisition of Imperial Dog, a dog and cat food manufacturer, founded by the creator of Royal Canin, now Virbac Nutrition.

1991

vaccin-renard.pngIn Europe, we continue to move forward by offering the first oral anti-rabies vaccine for foxes, obtained by selective mutation.

1992

PRD-JD.pngOur founder Pierre-Richard Dick, doctor of veterinary medicine, dies suddenly at the age of 55 while on a Central American sea voyage. Pascal Boissy, then financial director, succeeds him to head the company. Six months later, we adopt a new organizational structure made up of an executive board and a supervisory board, of which Jeanine Dick, wife of the founder, becomes chairwoman.

1992

Dates-clés-1992.pngWe push our international expansion further with the creation of our first subsidiary in Asia (a partnership with Maruyasu, a Japanese import-export company).

1996

fusion.pngNumerous companies created to develop our company on French territory merge into a single subsidiary, Virbac France, formalizing the beginning of the Virbac umbrella brand.

1998

jelaime,jelevaccine.pngThrough its “I love my pet, I vaccinate it” poster campaign, we raise the general public’s awareness of vaccination in France.

1999

EM.pngEric Marée, 48 years old, graduate of HEC and holder of an MBA from Cornell University in the United States, becomes chairman of the Virbac executive board.

1999

stlouis.pngThanks to the acquisition of Agri-Nutrition, a company based in St. Louis (Missouri), we acquire a range of dental care and hygiene products.

2001

virbagen-omega.pngWe make available to European veterinarians the first interferon omega for dogs and cats.

2001

fondation2001.pngThe Pierre-Richard Dick Foundation, created in 1993 after our founder’s death, becomes the Virbac Corporate Foundation. It aims to raise public awareness, educate and inform, especially children, about issues related to the integration and well-being of animals in cities.

2001

JPdick.pngWe partner with Jean-Pierre Dick, son of our founder and doctor of veterinary medicine, on his sailing adventure: through his involvement in epic races, the skipper helps to enhance the veterinary profession, promote animal health and our values in the four corners of the world.

2006

MHDick.pngMarie-Hélène Dick, daughter of our founder, doctor of veterinary medicine and MBA graduate from HEC, is named chairwoman of Virbac’s supervisory board.

2006

inde.pngWe strengthen our presence with Indian veterinarians and farmers thanks to the acquisition of Agrivet Farm Care, the animal health branch of GlaxoSmithKline. A collaboration that allows us to become number 1 in this country.

2008

prod.pngWith 7 production units, we currently have an industrial park on five continents (France, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, South Africa and Vietnam) to bring our health solutions ever closer to those who care for animals.

2008

suprelorin.pngWe share with veterinarians the first deslorelin-based implant, inducing a reversible neutering in male dogs.

2010

australie.pngWe sign an agreement with Pfizer Inc. to acquire the Australian rights to a range of products for food producing animals, primarily parasiticides and vaccines for cattle and sheep.

2012

aqua.pngCommitted to the animal proteins of the future, we acquire a majority share of Centrovet, animal health market leader in Chile, expert in the development and production of innovative products for the protection and treatment of cold water aquaculture farms (salmon and trout).

2015

cochon.pngWe acquire Schweitzer Biotech Company, a Taiwanese company that is an expert in the development of cell culture banks serving as the basis for production of viral vaccines primarily for swine and poultry. This acquisition gives the impulse to the creation of a new biology R&D structure in Southeast Asia, a region recognized for the largest swine and aquaculture (warm water) markets on the planet.

2015

fondation.pngThe Virbac Corporate Foundation, aware of the challenges related to the interconnection between animal, human, and environmental health, is committed to a screening, control, and prevention program for bovine tuberculosis and rabies in the Gonarezhou Park (Zimbabwe).

2016

argonavis.pngAfter the building of VB8 in Carros in 2014, dedicated to the manufacture of sterile injectables, we continue to invest in quality and production capacity with the construction of Argo Navis, VB8’s alter ego in Mexico.

2017

petfood.pngAfter the physiological range in 2016, we provide dog and cat owners with a range of dietetic petfood. Their composition is particularly suited to the dietary needs of carnivores.

2017

voile.pngAt the helm of St. Michel-Virbac, Jean-Pierre Dick wins his fourth Jacques Vabre Race (a first in the history of the Coffee Race). This victory marks a turning point in the life of the sailor and the most fitting closure to his 17 years of adventures around the world, flying the colors of our company.

2017

SH.pngSébastien Huron, 47 years old, doctor of veterinary medicine, head of Global Business Operations, and member of the executive board since 2012, succeeds Éric Marée as chairman of Virbac.

2018

50th_332x182px.jpgIn September, we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Along with the family of our founder, nearly 3,000 connected employees share in a two-day event that unfolds in an atmosphere of warmth, intercultural sharing and engagement in the service of animal health.

2018

piglets332x182px.jpgWe make a food supplement available in several Asian countries (Taiwan, Vietnam, The Philippines, South Korea and Thailand) to improve the survival of piglets from birth to ten days old.

2018

smartcap_332x182px.jpgWe win a Pharmapack Europe Award for the Smart Cap, a cap for safe extraction of liquid products (also recognized by the ADF Paris Awards in 2019). A great reward for our teams!

2018

Chews_332x182px.jpgWe include in our range of chews the first dental technology that fights both the oral and digestive causes of bad breath in dogs (Fr3sh).

2019

Suigen PCV2 vaccin 332x186px.jpgWe make a jump in several Asian countries thanks to a preventive solution against porcine circovirus, a virus responsible for significant losses in farms. Developed by our teams with the genotype predominant in most regions of the world, this vaccine helps limit the impact of this disease in one of the world's most important swine production areas.

2020

dates-clés-2020.pngWe offer to the European and North American veterinarians the first intratumoral injectable for canine mastocytomas, the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the most common skin cancer. With this novel injectable solution, we are opening a new path in the treatment of canine skin tumors.

Legal notice

All medicines or products mentioned in this document can be not authorized or not marketed in all the countries including France. The product names stated in this document are subject to protection in particular in respect of trademarks. Virbac and/or its subsidiaries are the owners or have exclusive use of them.