What Chemilines Group does

Chemilines Group is a privately held UK pharmaceutical importer, distributor and manufacturer headquartered in a purpose-built 90,000 sq ft facility (Chemilines House) in Wembley, North West London, founded in 1985 by Ravi Karia and Jagdish Karia. The Group supplies UK pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers and selected European distributors with a portfolio that spans branded medicines, generic pharmaceuticals, parallel-import (PI) products, woundcare dressings and surgical devices, the latter produced in-house through its wholly owned subsidiary Medicareplus International Limited (acquired April 2008) under the Medicareplus brand and Medical Devices Directive compliance.

Operationally, the Group is licensed by the MHRA (MCA) under Manufacturers License (Assembly) ML/8747/1 and Wholesale Dealers Licence WL/8747/1, runs a Navision-based ERP system with a phased Warehouse Management System implementation (Phase 1 ERP in 2009, Phase 2 WMS in 2010), and since 2011 has offered customers a B2B login portal for account management and ordering, alongside a Specials service providing next-day delivery of non-standard pharmaceutical products. The company is a participating member of the British Association of Euro Pharmaceutical Distributors (BAEPD) and the European Association of Euro Pharmaceutical Companies (EAEPC), supporting its parallel-import trade with EU suppliers.

Chemilines generates revenue through one-time product sales across its pharmaceutical distribution, generics and own-brand medical device manufacturing streams, with no subscription or licensing model disclosed. Its go-to-market is sales-led: a telesales team drives proactive account development and customer care, a B2B online portal handles account-level ordering, and field-based roles (e.g. European Buyer) manage supplier relationships and product sourcing across designated EU countries. Pricing is described as competitive within the UK pharmaceutical distribution market; specific price points, contract values and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Chemilines Group

Legal name

Chemilines Limited

Website

https://chemilines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chemilines Group is a UK-based, privately held pharmaceutical importer, distributor and manufacturer founded in 1985, supplying branded medicines, generics, parallel-import products and Medicareplus-branded woundcare and surgical devices to UK pharmacies, wholesalers and European distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution and Manufacturing

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

First Aid & Wound Care (Bandages, Dressings, Antiseptics, Burn Care) (CRADAMAB)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Parallel import medicines
• Woundcare manufacturing
• Medical device supply
• B2B pharmacy wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

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 Distribution: Distribution of branded medicines, generics, and parallel import (PI) pharmaceuticals to UK pharmacies and wholesalers. Revenue generated through product sales with pricing based on competitive market rates.
2. Medical Device Manufacturing: Manufacturing of woundcare products and surgical devices under the Group's own brand Medicareplus through subsidiary Medicareplus International Limited
3. Generics Sales: Sale of generic pharmaceutical products with various pack sizes and strengths

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chemilines Group imports and distributes a broad range of branded and generic pharmaceuticals (including parallel imports) to UK pharmacies, wholesalers and selected European distributors, and manufactures woundcare products and surgical devices under its own Medicareplus brand through subsidiary Medicareplus International Limited. The Group supports these physical-product activities with MCA Manufacturing and Wholesale Dealers licences, an in-house ERP and warehouse management system, and a B2B online portal for customer ordering.

Product overview

Chemilines Group operates as an integrated pharmaceutical importer, distributor, and manufacturer. The company distributes branded medicines and generics while manufacturing woundcare and surgical devices through its Medicareplus International subsidiary. The product portfolio spans Medicines (branded and generic pharmaceuticals), Woundcare and Surgicare Devices (under Medicareplus brand), the Medi Range product line launched in 2010, and Other Products including generics, dressings, and toiletries. Services include a Specials service for next day delivery and a B2B online platform for customer account management. The company holds MCA manufacturing and wholesale dealer licenses and operates from a 90,000 square foot purpose-built facility in Wembley, North West London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Medicareplus: Group's own brand for woundcare products and surgical devices manufactured under MDD.

Products and services

• Medicines Comprehensive range of branded and generic pharmaceuticals distributed by Chemilines with various pack sizes and strengths, supplied to UK pharmacies and wholesalers.
• Woundcare and Surgicare Devices Top quality value-for-money range of standard generic dressings, branded woundcare products and Surgicare devices manufactured under the Medical Devices Directive under the Group's own Medicareplus brand via subsidiary Medicareplus International Limited.
• Other Products Comprehensive range of market-leading products across various categories including generics, dressings and toiletries, supplied to UK pharmacies and wholesalers and updated with new product additions.
• Specials Service Comprehensive specials service offering next day delivery of non-standard pharmaceutical products, providing one-stop service capabilities for UK pharmacy and wholesale customers.
• Medi Range Product range launched in October 2010 to expand the company's pharmaceutical and medical device portfolio offered to UK customers.
• NurseIt Exclusive Medicareplus purpose-developed dressing kit designed for the specific needs of woundcare specialists.
• B2B Online Platform Comprehensive B2B login portal for UK pharmacy and wholesale customers providing access to product lists, account management, and online ordering.
• Discountlines Discount product line offering value-oriented pharmaceutical products to UK customers.
• Medicareplus Group's own brand label for woundcare products and surgical devices manufactured under Medical Devices Directive compliance through subsidiary Medicareplus International Limited.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• British Association of Euro Pharmaceutical Distributors (BAEPD)minorOthers · 1 April 2008Chemilines is a fully participating member of BAEPD, an industry association for euro pharmaceutical distributors in the UK market.
• Medicareplus International LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2008In April 2008, Chemilines acquired Medicareplus International Limited as part of its ongoing strategy for expanding ranges and products. Medicareplus is a manufacturer of woundcare products and surgical devices. The acquisition adds proprietary manufacturing capability to the Group.
• European Association of Euro Pharmaceutical Companies (EAEPC)minorOthersChemilines is active within Europe through its association with EAEPC, enabling participation in parallel import trade across EU countries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alliance Healthcare: The largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK and Chemilines' principal competitor; both supply branded, generic and PI medicines to UK pharmacies and wholesalers, but Alliance operates at substantially greater scale as part of the Walgreens Boots Alliance group.
• Phoenix Group: Pan-European pharmaceutical distribution group and parent of AAH. Comparable to Chemilines in its focus on generics and PI medicines across multiple European markets, but at vastly greater scale and with vertically integrated manufacturing.
• AAH Pharmaceuticals: One of the UK's three dominant pharmaceutical wholesalers and a direct competitor in the branded/generics/PI distribution market. Operates as part of Phoenix Group, giving it European sourcing capabilities comparable to Chemilines' EAEPC-based PI model.
• Smith & Nephew: Global medical device manufacturer with a significant advanced wound management portfolio (e.g., Allevyn, PICO). Comparable to Chemilines' Medicareplus woundcare franchise but at multinational scale and with deep R&D investment in advanced dressings.
• 3M Health Care: Global diversified manufacturer with a large medical supplies division including wound dressings, skin integrity products, and surgical supplies. Comparable to Chemilines' Medicareplus offering but operates as a multinational incumbent across multiple product categories.
• B. Braun: Global medical device and pharmaceutical solutions company with a UK wound care and surgical devices portfolio. Comparable to Chemilines in supplying woundcare and surgical consumables to UK healthcare providers, though B. Braun is a much larger integrated manufacturer-distributor.
• ConvaTec: Specialist medical device company focused on wound care, ostomy, continence and critical care. Direct category overlap with Chemilines' Medicareplus product line (e.g., the 2013 Speedicath and Biocath stock expansion), but ConvaTec is a global branded manufacturer rather than a mid-market distributor.

Direct peers

• Mawdsleys: UK-based independent pharmaceutical wholesaler of comparable mid-market size to Chemilines, distributing branded, generic and parallel-import medicines to UK pharmacies and hospitals with similar B2B distribution economics.
• Morningside Pharmaceuticals: UK-based pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor supplying the NHS, pharmacies, and international humanitarian markets with branded generics and speciality medicines. Highly comparable to Chemilines' integrated model combining own-brand manufacturing with distribution.
• Martindale Pharma: UK-based specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer and supplier of injectable, hospital and special-order medicines. Comparable mid-market UK private company combining manufacturing capability with distribution into UK hospitals and pharmacies — closely matching Chemilines' integrated profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chemilinesgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chemilines-group

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Chemilines Group