PharmaMar's key ventures include the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical drugs derived from marine-related resources for the treatment of certain cancers and Alzheimer's disease.

During these initial years, it focused mainly in the production of drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases and gynaecologic disorders as controlled-release insuline, sulfonamides, Alkaloids and ephedrine.

[9] In 1945, together with Spanish laboratories Abelló, Ibys, Leti, Llorente and Uquifa, it created the company Antibioticos SA, dedicated to packaging penicillin and streptomycin imported in bulk.

In 1984, Antibioticos SA and ICI Farma were released from the Zeltia group and in 1986 José María Fernández Sousa-Faro founded the PharmaMar subsidiary with the objective of developing Antitumor drugs from marine-based resources such as algae.

This chemical compound began to be marketed under the commercial name Yondelis after approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma and uterine cancer in advanced stages.