Mélipharm

What Mélipharm does

Mélipharm (legal name: Laboratoire Melipharm) is a French privately-held medical device company founded in 2009 in Panazol, France by Pr Bernard Descottes, who pioneered the thymus honey wound healing protocol at CHU Limoges in the 1990s. The company manufactures sterile Class IIb medical devices based on standardized monofloral honey — chiefly thyme honey — used as cicatrizants for the treatment of acute, chronic, surgical, and delayed-healing wounds. Its portfolio is marketed under two brands: Melectis, addressing general wound healing in hospitals, nursing homes (Ehpad), and at home, and Melicare, a postpartum and breastfeeding fissure care line developed with midwives for use in maternity wards and pharmacies.

Commercially, Mélipharm sells one-time medical device units through a B2B2C channel mix: prescription and in-facility use in hospitals, maternity wards, and Ehpad; pharmacy distribution; and direct online sales via alvadiem.fr and melicare.fr. Following the 2024 rapprochement with Alvadiem (formerly Apivita, owned by Céline Archer since 2011), Alvadiem became the exclusive pharmacy distributor for Mélipharm products, granting the combined group access to a 4,000+ point-of-sale French pharmacy network and positioning the entity as France's first apicultural dermatology group spanning dermo-cosmetic care to regulated medical devices. The company is small (1-10 employees), operates only in France, has publicly disclosed no revenue, and has not raised institutional capital beyond an undisclosed 2017 round from Limousin Business Angels.

Under the current structure, Mélipharm operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alvadiem, retaining distinct clinical DNA and product branding while leveraging the parent's commercial infrastructure.

Name

Mélipharm

Legal name

Laboratoire Melipharm

Website

https://melipharm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

French medical device manufacturer founded in 2009 that produces sterile Class IIb wound healing and postpartum care products based on standardized thymus honey, sold under Melectis and Melicare brands through hospitals, maternity wards, pharmacies, and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wound Care Medical Devices

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand Hygiene & Skin Antisepsis (Soaps, Sanitizers, Surgical Scrubs, CHG Prep) (HLAHANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical & Healthcare Hygiene Disposables (Patient Wipes, Underpads) (IMAMAGAF)

Keywords

• Medical honey wound healing
• Sterile wound care devices
• Postpartum breast care
• Apicultural dermatology
• Cicatrizant medical devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Panazol

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales (Melectis): Sale of sterile honey-based wound healing medical devices (Class IIb) for acute, chronic, surgical wounds and delayed healing. Distributed in pharmacies and prescribed/used in healthcare establishments (hospitals, Ehpad).
2. Medical Device Sales (Melicare): Sale of postpartum wound healing and breastfeeding fissure prevention/treatment products developed with midwives. Available in pharmacies, used in maternity wards.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mélipharm develops, manufactures, and sells sterile Class IIb medical devices based on standardized monofloral thymus honey for wound healing. The company operates two product lines: Melectis for acute, chronic, surgical wounds and delayed healing, and Melicare for postpartum wound healing and breastfeeding fissure prevention. Products are distributed through French pharmacies, prescribed in hospitals, EHPAD, and maternity wards, and sold directly online.

Product overview

Mélipharm is a French medical honey manufacturer founded in 2009, operating under two main brands: Melectis for general wound healing (acute, chronic, surgical wounds) and Melicare for postpartum/maternity care. Following the 2019 merger with Alvadiem, the company now forms France's first apicultural dermatology group, combining medical devices (Class IIb honey-based cicatrizants) with dermo-cosmetic products. Mélipharm's products are available in pharmacies, hospitals, and nursing homes, with distribution expanding through Alvadiem's 4,000+ pharmacy network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Melectis: Medical honey wound healing brand for acute, chronic, surgical wounds and delayed healing. Products available in pharmacies and prescribed in hospitals and nursing homes (EHPAD).
• Melicare

Products and services

• Melectis Sterile Class IIb medical honey-based devices for the treatment of acute, chronic, surgical wounds, and wounds with delayed healing. Distributed in pharmacies and used in hospitals and EHPAD under medical dressing.
• Melicare Medical honey-based product line developed with midwives for postpartum wound healing and prevention/treatment of breastfeeding fissures. Available in pharmacies and used in maternity wards.
• CICATRIMEL — Cicatrisation Honey-based wound cicatrization product line combining Mélipharm's medical honey expertise with Alvadiem's apicultural dermatology formulations for wound healing.
• MELICARE — Maternité Postpartum and maternity care product line developed with midwives for breastfeeding wound care and breastfeeding fissure prevention.

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

One partnership is on record.

• Alvadiem (formerly Apivita France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Merger/rapprochement between Mélipharm and Alvadiem creating the first French apicultural dermatology group. Mélipharm brings expertise in medical honey wound healing products, while Alvadiem brings pharmacy distribution network and health professional relationships. Alvadiem, owned by Céline Archer since 2011, will become the exclusive distributor in pharmacies for Mélipharm products. The merger combines complementary expertise in hive-based dermatology products ranging from dermo-cosmetics to medical devices.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ConvaTec: Global medical device leader in advanced wound care, ostomy, and continence care, representing the scale player whose advanced wound dressing portfolio competes with Mélipharm in hospital formularies.
• Comvita: Large New Zealand apiary company with a medical-grade manuka honey division serving wound care, comparable to Mélipharm in raw material sourcing and antibacterial honey applications but operating at much larger consumer health scale.
• Smith & Nephew (Advanced Wound Management): Global medical technology company with a leading advanced wound care portfolio including Acticoat, Allevyn, and PICO, representing the dominant incumbent whose wound care offerings Mélipharm competes against in hospital purchasing.
• Mölnlycke Health Care: Swedish-based wound care and surgical solutions leader (Mepilex, Mepitel), offering premium dressings Mélipharm competes against in European hospital and post-acute care settings.
• Coloplast: Danish medical device company with a substantial wound and skin care division (Biatain, Comfeel), one of the larger incumbents in the European wound care market where Mélipharm operates.

Direct peers

• L-Mesitran: Dutch medical device company producing honey-based wound care gels and ointments for acute and chronic wounds, directly competing with Mélipharm's Melectis line in hospital and pharmacy channels across Europe.
• Medihoney (Integra LifeSciences): Medical-grade manuka honey wound dressings now distributed by Integra LifeSciences, offering directly comparable sterile honey-based wound care products used in hospitals and burn units globally.
• Activon Medical Honey: UK-based manufacturer of medical-grade manuka honey wound care dressings and gels for the NHS and international markets, directly comparable to Mélipharm's sterile honey cicatrizants.

Emerging players

• ManukaMed: New Zealand medical manuka honey specialist producing sterile wound dressings and gels, sharing the medical honey differentiation niche and competing in international burn and wound care markets.

Regional players

• Urgo Medical: French wound care company (Urgo, Algosteril) and competitor within French hospitals and pharmacies, sharing the French market dynamics and regulatory environment with Mélipharm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Melipharm
• Facebookfacebook.com/alvadiem
• Instagraminstagram.com/alvadiem
• Pinterestfr.pinterest.com/alvadiem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Mélipharm