American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

What American Herbal Pharmacopoeia does

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Scotts Valley, California. Its core function is the development and publication of critically reviewed botanical monographs and Therapeutic Compendiums that provide quality control standards, identity specifications, and safety data for herbal ingredients used in the U.S. dietary supplement market. To date AHP has published 37 monographs covering 44 botanical titles (plus one free monograph), spanning Western, Ayurvedic, and Chinese botanicals, and maintains a catalog of more than 300 AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials authenticated through an orthogonal combination of botanical, macroscopic, organoleptic, chemical, and molecular methods including HPTLC and HPLC fingerprinting.

AHP's product portfolio comprises individual monographs and a complete set sold via its own storefronts (herbal-ahp.org and herbal-ahp.com), the AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials (vacuum-sealed 5g/10g/20g reference standards), fee-for-service botanical authentication ($300–$1,132 per specimen), the Botanical Pharmacognosy textbook ($204.95), the Cannabis, Seizures and Epilepsy scientific review, and the quarterly Herbal QRS Bulletin. Revenue is generated through a combination of one-time monograph and BRM sales, recurring annual membership subscriptions (Industry Bronze $1,200 through Platinum $10,000, plus Individual, Student, Library/Educational, Regulatory, and Non-Profit tiers), authentication services, textbook sales, and grant/contract funding from industry sponsors and government bodies including the FDA and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

AHP serves a horizontal customer base spanning herbal product manufacturers (Nature's Way, NOW Foods, Herb Pharm, Traditional Medicinals, EuroPharma, Planetary Herbals, Vitality Works), healthcare practitioners, academic and research institutions, regulatory agencies, and industry trade associations. Monograph development is supported by an international network of expert advisors and is increasingly funded through pooled industry sponsorships, with each monograph typically backed by 4–8 corporate contributors. The organization is founder-led by President and Executive Director Roy Upton, with a six-person core staff and a Board of Directors chaired by John Cardellina II, PhD.

Name

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Legal name

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Website

https://herbal-ahp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia is a non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1995 that publishes critically reviewed botanical monographs, authenticates herbal reference materials, and provides quality control standards for the U.S. herbal products industry, serving manufacturers, healthcare practitioners, academics, and regulators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Reference Standards

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts) (AFAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Herbal monographs
• Botanical reference materials
• Botanical authentication services
• Pharmacognosy publications
• CGMP compliance standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotts Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Monograph and Therapeutic Compendium Sales: Sale of critically reviewed herbal monographs in print and downloadable PDF formats through the AHP Shop (herbal-ahp.com). Monographs are also available via membership subscriptions. Revenue is one-time purchase based for individual monographs, with complete sets available for purchase.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership tiers (Industry Bronze $1,200, Silver $2,500, Gold $5,000, Platinum $10,000; Regulatory; Individual $125; Student $75; Library/Educational $850-$1,725; Non-Profit) providing digital access to monographs, quarterly Herbal QRS Bulletins, News & Views bulletins, research updates, technical GMP support, and discounts on BRMs.
3. Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs): Sale of AHP-Verified BRMs in vacuum-sealed 5g, 10g, and 20g quantities. Each BRM is a custom order prepared to ensure preservation of constituent profile. Members receive 10% discount.
4. Botanical Authentication Services: Fee-for-service botanical identification and authentication, including customer specimen authentication ($412), AHP specimen sourcing ($1,132), and macroscopic/sensory identification ($300).
5. Textbook Sales: Sale of the Botanical Pharmacognosy: Microscopic Characterization of Botanical Medicines textbook at $204.95 per copy, covering over 140 medicinal plant species.
6. Grants, Contracts, and Fundraising: AHP is funded primarily through independent fundraising to individuals, organizations, herbal product manufacturers, limited grants, contract work (including FDA and NIH/ODS), and revenues from monograph sales and BRM sales. The organization is a non-profit 501(c)(3).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia produces critically reviewed herbal monographs and therapeutic compendiums that establish quality control standards (identity, purity, quality, composition, and contaminant limits) for botanical ingredients, using an orthogonal authentication approach combining botanical, macroscopic, microscopic, HPTLC, and HPLC methods. It also sells over 300 AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs) and provides fee-for-service botanical authentication to herbal product manufacturers, regulators, academic institutions, and practitioners.

Product overview

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization that produces botanical monographs and reference materials as its core offerings. The main product portfolio consists of AHP Monographs (critically reviewed quality control standards and therapeutic compendiums for botanicals), AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials (over 300 authenticated reference standards for quality control testing), and Botanical Authentication Services. Supporting offerings include a Botanical Pharmacognosy Textbook, scientific reviews (e.g., Cannabis and Epilepsy), quarterly Herbal QRS Bulletins, and AHP News & Views. A membership program provides tiered access to monographs, technical GMP support, and discounts. The organization began monograph development in 1994 and has published 44+ monographs covering Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western botanicals, with a goal of producing 300 monographs total.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs): Authenticated botanical reference standards for use in routine quality control testing, sold vacuum-sealed in quantities of 5g, 10g, and 20g.
• Monographs Without Borders

Products and services

• AHP Monographs and Therapeutic Compendiums Critically reviewed herbal monographs and therapeutic compendiums providing quality control standards, identification techniques (botanical, macroscopic, microscopic, HPTLC, HPLC), and pharmacological and safety data for botanicals. Individual monographs available for purchase (e.g., Echinacea, Kava, Lemon Balm, Yerba Santa, Triphala, Ashwagandha, Goldenseal, Ginkgo) and as a Complete Set of 45 titles. For supplement manufacturers, regulators, academics, and healthcare practitioners.
• AHP-Verified Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs) Over 300 authenticated botanical reference materials including Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western botanicals, sold vacuum-sealed in 5g, 10g, and 20g quantities. Each BRM is authenticated via botanical, macroscopic, organoleptic, chemical, and molecular methods using an orthogonal approach. Sourced from wildcrafters, botanists, organic farms, and AHP's own National Wildlife Federation-Certified Wildlife Habitat garden. For natural products manufacturers, analytical labs, and research institutions worldwide.
• Botanical Authentication Services Fee-for-service botanical identification and authentication services including customer specimen authentication ($412), authenticated AHP specimen sourcing and mounting ($1,132), and macroscopic/sensory identification ($300). Each service includes a certificate of authenticity. For industry customers needing authenticated botanical specimens for quality control, research, education, or regulatory purposes.
• AHP Membership Program Annual membership tiers providing digital monograph access, quarterly bulletins, technical GMP support, and member discounts: Industry Bronze ($1,200), Silver ($2,500), Gold ($5,000), Platinum ($10,000); Regulatory; Individual ($125); Student ($75); Library/Educational ($850–$1,725 by enrollment); Non-Profit. Platinum tier includes up to 90 hours of AHP Technical GMP support and a complete hard-copy set of all printed monographs.
• Botanical Pharmacognosy Textbook Printed textbook providing detailed text and graphic descriptions of more than 140 medicinal plant species and their adulterants, covering plant anatomy at a level appropriate for pharmacognostic analysis. Represents 90 percent of the dollar value of botanical sales in the US. Priced at $204.95 per copy. For laboratory instruction and pharmacognosy reference.
• Cannabis, Seizures and Epilepsy: A Scientific Review Scientific review document on the management and treatment of seizures and epilepsy using cannabis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each monograph provides specific identification techniques for ensuring regulatory compliance with cGMPs for identity, purity, quality, composition, and contaminant limits.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InformacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInforma is a global events, digital products, and academic research services company that connects specialists with knowledge. AHP partners with Informa to amplify reach to knowledge specialists in the botanical and herbal medicine space through events and digital platforms.
• Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWIN offers tools, networking, visibility, and mentoring to create an environment where women have an equal place in the leadership and evolution of the global nutraceutical industry. AHP partners with WIN to support diversity and inclusion in the herbal and nutraceutical sector.
• National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) at The University of MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCNPR has been at the forefront of advancing natural products for health, agriculture, and sustainability for decades. NCNPR collaborates with AHP on the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program and provides expertise in cannabis analysis, with Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly contributing to the AHP Cannabis monograph. NCNPR is the only federally legal source of medical marijuana in the US.
• American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1982, AHPA is the national trade association and voice of the herbal and natural products industries with more than 350 member companies. AHPA and AHP collaborate on standards development, regulatory advocacy, and quality initiatives including the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program.
• United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNPA is a leading trade association comprising over 100 companies dedicated to advancing global natural health products. UNPA collaborates with AHP to champion responsible business practices and advocate for standards ensuring consumer safety, reliable health information, and well-trained health practitioners.
• International HPTLC AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAHP is a founding member of the International HPTLC Association, which promotes the use of HPTLC in plant analysis. AHP has supported the development of numerous methods in the Association's Method Collection, and many AHP monograph methods were developed for AHP and are featured in the Association's resources.
• Global Alliance for Integrative Health & Medicine (GAIHM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAIHM is an international collaboration of practitioners, researchers, and organizations dedicated to integrating evidence-based natural and traditional medicine into healthcare systems. AHP Program Director Dawn Costa also serves as GAIHM Program Director, representing a deep operational integration between the organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Botanical Council: Non-profit educational organization providing authoritative information on herbal medicine. ABC is a direct peer to AHP with a similar nonprofit mission, public endorsement relationship (American Botanical Council publicly praised AHP monographs), and overlapping audience of manufacturers, practitioners, and researchers.
• European Pharmacopoeia (EDQM): Official European pharmacopeia providing quality standards for medicinal products including herbal drugs and extracts. It is the closest international counterpart to AHP, producing botanical monographs that compete for global manufacturer and regulator adoption in markets where AHP also operates.
• German Commission E Monographs: Historical German regulatory monographs evaluating the safety and efficacy of hundreds of herbs for the German Federal Health Agency. Commission E is a direct peer and reference point for AHP monographs, and remains a competing English-translated standard used by manufacturers and regulators globally.

Broad incumbents

• United States Pharmacopeia (USP): The US national pharmacopeia that publishes quality standards for medicines including a subset of botanical dietary supplements. USP is a broader incumbent with vastly greater resources, but its botanical monograph set overlaps with AHP's quality control focus and competes for similar regulator and manufacturer reference use.
• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization that offers testing, certification, and quality standards for dietary supplements and ingredients. NSF is a broader incumbent with a much larger scope that overlaps with AHP's quality control and authentication services, particularly in the dietary supplement supply chain.

Others

• American Herbal Products Association (AHPA): National trade association for the herbal products industry with 350+ member companies. AHPA is more of a partner than competitor, collaborating with AHP on the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program and citing AHP monographs as authoritative member references, but it produces complementary standards and safety guidance.
• Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN): Leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry. CRN's Chairman of the Board (John Cardellina) also chairs AHP's board, reflecting deep institutional overlap; CRN is more of a partner/ecosystem participant than direct competitor, but produces complementary regulatory and standards content.
• United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA): Leading trade association of 100+ natural product companies focused on quality, safety, and regulatory standards. UNPA is an AHP partner and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, collaborating on standards and consumer safety initiatives, with overlapping membership among sponsor companies like EuroPharma.
• National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR): University of Mississippi-based federally-affiliated research center advancing natural products for health. NCNPR is a core AHP research partner on the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program and the Cannabis monograph, functioning as a scientific collaborator and federally legal cannabis source rather than a commercial competitor.

Emerging players

• ConsumerLab.com: Independent testing organization that evaluates dietary supplements and publishes quality and identity results. ConsumerLab.com is an emerging player with partial overlap, addressing some of the same adulteration and quality concerns that motivate AHP monograph and BRM demand, but focuses on finished-product testing rather than ingredient standards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@herbalahp
• Facebookfacebook.com/herbalahp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-herbal-pharmacopoeia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Herbal Pharmacopoeia