Berlin Chemie

What Berlin Chemie does

Berlin-Chemie AG is a German pharmaceutical company headquartered in Berlin (Glienicker Weg 125, 12489 Berlin) that has developed, produced, and distributed pharmaceutical products for over 130 years since its founding in 1892. Since 1992, the company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, the Italian pharmaceutical conglomerate, and within the group it functions as the regional headquarters for Central and Eastern Europe (MOE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with responsibility for local subsidiaries across more than 30 countries.

The company's product portfolio is organized into four lines. The core Pharmaceuticals line covers prescription medications across seven therapy areas: respiratory diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, skin diseases, thyroid disorders, gout, and chronic insomnia. The Consumer Healthcare line provides over-the-counter products for pain, gastrointestinal complaints, and fever and cold symptoms. The Aesthetic Medicine line is operated under the Relife Deutschland sub-brand, and Diagnostics is delivered via the Menarini Diagnostics Deutschland sub-brand. In addition, Berlin-Chemie operates a digital professional-services ecosystem that includes TheraKey (a digital therapy companion for doctors), the Medical Hub (a central product-information and training portal for physicians), Berliner-Akademie (continuing medical education), and Bärenpost (services and offers for pharmacies).

Berlin-Chemie operates a B2B, sales-led go-to-market model, selling prescription and OTC medications to doctors, pharmacies, and patients through direct sales relationships and pharmacy distribution channels, with local subsidiaries managing execution in each country. Revenue is generated through the development, production, and distribution of pharmaceutical products, with the company serving healthcare professionals and patients across Germany and the broader CEE/CIS region.

Name

Berlin Chemie

Legal name

BERLIN-CHEMIE AG

Website

https://berlin-chemie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Berlin-Chemie AG is a German pharmaceutical company and Menarini Group subsidiary that develops, produces, and distributes prescription and OTC medications across seven therapy areas, plus aesthetic medicine and diagnostics, in more than 30 Central and Eastern European and CIS countries, supported by a digital professional-services ecosystem for physicians, pharmacists, and patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dermatology & Aesthetics Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAK), Cold, Flu & Cough Remedies (HLAIADAB), Cold, Flu, Cough & Allergy Remedies (Decongestants, Antihistamines, Cough Syrups, Lozenges) (CRADAMAD), Endocrinology & Reproductive Health Pharmaceuticals (incl. Women’s Health) (HLAIAAAJ), Dermatology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAL), Generic Hospital & Institutional Products (HLAIABAL)

Keywords

• Prescription pharmaceuticals
• Consumer healthcare products
• Aesthetic medicine
• Medical diagnostics
• Pharmaceutical distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Products: Development, production and distribution of prescription pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products across therapeutic areas including respiratory diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, skin diseases, thyroid disorders, gout, and chronic insomnia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berlin-Chemie develops, produces, and distributes pharmaceutical products for over 130 years, with a portfolio spanning prescription medications across seven therapy areas (respiratory diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, skin diseases, thyroid disorders, gout, chronic insomnia) and over-the-counter consumer healthcare products (pain, gastrointestinal, fever and cold). The company also operates sub-brands for aesthetic medicine (Relife Deutschland) and diagnostics (Menarini Diagnostics Deutschland), supplemented by digital and professional services such as Medical Hub, TheraKey, Berliner-Akademie, and Bärenpost for healthcare professionals and pharmacies.

Product overview

Berlin Chemie operates as a pharmaceutical company within the Menarini Group, offering a diversified portfolio organized into four main product lines: (1) Pharmaceuticals — prescription medications covering seven therapy areas including respiratory diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, skin diseases, thyroid disorders, gout, and chronic insomnia; (2) Consumer Healthcare — OTC products for pain treatment, gastrointestinal complaints, and fever/cold symptoms; (3) Aesthetic Medicine through Relife Deutschland; and (4) Diagnostics through Menarini Diagnostics Germany. The company also provides a suite of digital and professional services including TheraKey (digital therapy companion), Medical Hub (central information portal for healthcare professionals), Berliner-Akademie (medical education), and Bärenpost (pharmacy services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Relife Deutschland: Aesthetic medicine products brand operated by Berlin-Chemie.
• Menarini Diagnostics Deutschland

Products and services

• TheraKey – Digitale Therapiebegleitung (Digital Therapy Companion) Digital therapy companion platform providing doctors with tools for patient management and therapy support for Berlin-Chemie medications.
• Medical Hub Central hub for physicians and medical professionals providing product information, training materials, patient information leaflets, and continuing education resources for Berlin-Chemie medications available in Germany.
• Berliner-Akademie – Medizinische Fort- und Weiterbildung Medical continuing education platform offering training, workshops, and professional development for healthcare professionals.
• Bärenpost – Angebote und Services für Apotheken Services and offers specifically designed for pharmacies, providing support and resources for pharmacy operations.
• Relife Deutschland – Ästhetische Medizin Aesthetic medicine products and solutions under the Relife brand, addressing medical aesthetic needs.
• Menarini Diagnostics Deutschland – Diagnostika Diagnostic products and solutions under the Menarini Diagnostics brand, providing medical diagnostic technologies.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Relife DeutschlandminorOthersPartnership for aesthetic medicine products. Relife Deutschland operates under the aesthetic medicine section of Berlin-Chemie's product portfolio, offering products for medical aesthetics.
• Menarini Diagnostics DeutschlandminorOthersDiagnostic products partnership. Menarini Diagnostics Deutschland provides diagnostic solutions as part of the broader Menarini Group offering, aligned with Berlin-Chemie's healthcare portfolio.
• Menarini GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-Chemie is a subsidiary of Menarini Group, the leading Italian pharmaceutical company founded in 1886. As part of the group, Berlin-Chemie serves as the regional headquarters for Central and Eastern Europe and CIS, managing operations across over 30 countries. The partnership provides access to global pharmaceutical expertise, research and development capabilities, and distribution networks spanning 140 countries worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Pharmaceuticals: German-headquartered global pharmaceutical company with broad prescription and consumer health portfolios and significant European presence. Comparable as a larger German-domiciled pharma incumbent that competes in similar therapy areas and OTC categories.
• Sandoz: Novartis's generics and biosimilars division with extensive European and emerging-markets presence. Comparable in scale, generic-led portfolio, and broad therapy area coverage, including biosimilars in inflammation and oncology adjacencies.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries: Global leader in generic pharmaceuticals with a major European footprint including Central and Eastern Europe. Comparable as a broad-line generic and specialty incumbent whose CEE business overlaps directly with Berlin-Chemie's markets.
• Menarini Group: Italian pharmaceutical conglomerate and parent of Berlin-Chemie, operating globally across Rx, OTC, diagnostics, and aesthetics. Comparable as the broader group that owns and channels products through Berlin-Chemie.

Direct peers

• Stada Arzneimittel: German-based generic and specialty pharma group with strong presence in Germany and Eastern Europe across prescription, OTC, and consumer health categories. Closely comparable to Berlin-Chemie in therapeutic breadth, OTC portfolio, and CEE distribution focus.
• Gedeon Richter: Hungarian-based branded and generic pharmaceutical company with deep CEE roots and growing Western European presence. Highly comparable in regional positioning, branded-generic mix, and therapy area breadth, including women's health.
• Polpharma: Polish pharmaceutical manufacturer producing generics, OTC, and prescription products with a strong CEE presence. Comparable to Berlin-Chemie in scale, multi-country CEE distribution, and combined Rx/OTC portfolio.
• KRKA: Slovenian generic and specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer with strong CEE/CIS footprint across prescription generics and OTC. Operates in many of the same markets and therapy areas as Berlin-Chemie, including cardiovascular, diabetes, and respiratory.
• Zentiva: Czech-headquartered pan-European generic and branded pharma company operating extensively across Central and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable to Berlin-Chemie's prescription and OTC franchise across CEE markets and similar therapy area mix.

Emerging players

• Alvotech: Iceland-based biosimilars developer and manufacturer expanding into European commercial markets. Comparable as a newer entrant targeting some of the same therapeutic categories Berlin-Chemie competes in, with a differentiated biosimilars value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@berlin-chemie
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/berlinchemie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berlin Chemie