What Hexal does

Hexal AG is one of the leading pharmaceutical brands in Germany, operating as a wholly-owned brand within the Sandoz generics and biosimilars division (itself spun off from Novartis in October 2023). Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Holzkirchen, Germany, the company employs 5,001-10,000 people and distributes a portfolio of more than 400 products that ranges from over-the-counter (OTC) medications to complex biotechnologically manufactured pharmaceuticals. Therapeutic areas include allergies, thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis, pain management, growth disorders, osteoporosis, immunology, transplantation medicine, and addiction medicine. Branded OTC franchises include Lorano® and Cetirizin HEXAL® (antihistamines), ACC® (cough remedy), Gingium® (Ginkgo biloba), and MometaHEXAL® (nasal spray).

The business model is built on three pillars: (1) prescription and OTC pharmaceutical product sales through German pharmacies, with prescription revenue determined via statutory health insurer (GKV) discount contracts (Rabattverträge); (2) segment-specific digital engagement via three portals — Patientenportal for patients, Ärzteportal for physicians, and Apothekenportal for pharmacies — plus the FeelinX® patient magazine and continuing medical education programs; and (3) digital health services including the Digitaler MedAntwort Assistent (an AI-powered 24/7 medication information assistant), the Pollenflug mobile app for allergy sufferers, and the GI 4.0® package-insert app. Direct-to-consumer reach runs through these dedicated portals; all physical product distribution runs through licensed German pharmacies, with no direct e-commerce channel.

Hexal's go-to-market is anchored by its brand recognition and its positioning as one of the best-known pharmaceutical brands in German healthcare. The company is the only single-country, domestically focused entity in the dataset — it operates exclusively in Germany — which concentrates exposure to German regulatory and reimbursement dynamics while providing clarity of strategic scope within the broader Sandoz portfolio.

Name

Hexal

Legal name

Hexal AG

Website

https://hexal.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Hexal AG is a Germany-focused generic and OTC pharmaceutical company operating as a brand within Sandoz, distributing more than 400 prescription and OTC products through German pharmacies across allergies, thyroid, MS, pain, and biologics, and supporting patients, physicians, and pharmacists via dedicated online portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Generic Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Generic Finished Dosage Form (FDF) Manufacturing (HLAIABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Generic Hospital & Institutional Products (HLAIABAL)

Keywords

• Generic pharmaceuticals
• Over-the-counter medications
• Biotech generics
• Pharmacy distribution
• Patient health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Holzkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Hexal generates revenue through the sale of generic and OTC pharmaceutical products across multiple therapeutic areas including allergies, thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis, pain management, and growth disorders. Products are distributed through pharmacies in Germany with both prescription and over-the-counter offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hexal develops, manufactures, and sells over 400 generic and OTC pharmaceutical products in Germany, spanning from over-the-counter remedies to complex biotechnologically manufactured drugs across therapeutic areas including allergies, thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis, pain, osteoporosis, immunology, transplantation, and growth disorders. The portfolio is complemented by digital health services such as patient, physician, and pharmacy portals, the Digitaler MedAntwort Assistent, the Pollenflug app, and the FeelinX patient magazine. Products are dispensed exclusively through German pharmacies.

Product overview

Hexal – a Sandoz Brand is one of the best-known and strongest brands in German healthcare, offering a broad portfolio of over 400 products spanning from over-the-counter (OTC) medications to highly complex biotechnologically manufactured pharmaceuticals. The product portfolio includes allergy treatments (Lorano®, Cetirizin HEXAL®, MometaHEXAL®), cough remedies (ACC®), neurological/cognitive products (Gingium®), and various other therapeutic areas. In addition to pharmaceutical products, Hexal provides digital health services including the Digitaler MedAntwort Assistent (AI-powered medical question assistant), the Pollenflug App (pollen forecast mobile app), and FeelinX® patient magazine. The company serves patients through dedicated portals (Patientenportal), healthcare professionals through the Ärzteportal, and pharmacists through the Apothekenportal. Various drug delivery devices are offered including the SurePal™ Pen. The portfolio covers therapeutic areas including allergies, thyroid disorders, pain, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, immunology, transplantation medicine, and addiction medicine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FeelinX®: Patient magazine and companion guide for patients with chronic conditions
• GI 4.0®

Products and services

• ACC® akut 600 mg Hustenlöser Brausetabletten Effervescent tablet cough expectorant (acetylcysteine 600 mg) for treating respiratory conditions, sold as an over-the-counter remedy for German consumers through pharmacies.
• Gingium® 40 mg Filmtabletten Ginkgo biloba-based film-coated tablets (40 mg) sold over the counter for cognitive support and circulation-related indications, distributed to German consumers via pharmacies.
• Lorano®Pro Over-the-counter antihistamine product for the treatment of allergy symptoms, marketed to German consumers and dispensed through pharmacies.
• Cetirizin HEXAL® bei Allergien, 10 mg Filmtabletten Cetirizine-based antihistamine film-coated tablets (10 mg) for allergy relief, sold over the counter in German pharmacies.
• Lorano® akut, 10 mg Tabletten Rapid-acting loratadine-based antihistamine tablets (10 mg) for acute allergy symptom relief, sold as an OTC remedy in German pharmacies.
• Cetirizin HEXAL® Saft bei Allergien, 1 mg/ml Lösung zum Einnehmen Cetirizine-based antihistamine oral solution (1 mg/ml) for allergy treatment, offered as an OTC alternative for consumers preferring liquid formulations.
• MometaHEXAL® Heuschnupfenspray Mometasone nasal spray marketed as an OTC therapy for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) symptoms, sold in German pharmacies.
• SurePal™ Pen Medical injection pen device for self-administration of Hexal medications (including growth disorder therapies), supporting patient self-injection.
• Digitaler MedAntwort Assistent AI-powered assistant providing 24/7 information about Hexal medications in response to medical and pharmaceutical questions, drawing on technical and topic-specific content.
• Pollenflug App (Hexal Pollen App) Free mobile app providing pollen flight forecasts for 15 plant species up to 7 days in advance, with personalized allergen tracking, symptom diary, and medication logging for allergy sufferers.
• FeelinX® Patientenmagazin Patient magazine providing disease education and lifestyle tips for patients with chronic conditions, offered as a companion resource for Hexal medication users.
• Patientenportal Online patient portal providing German consumers with access to health information, product details, and disease management resources for allergies, thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis, pain, and growth disorders.
• Ärzteportal Online physician portal offering healthcare professionals continuing medical education, scientific updates, case studies, events, and prescribing information across specialties such as immunology, MS, osteoporosis, thyroid, pain, addiction, and transplantation medicine.
• Apothekenportal Online portal for German pharmacists providing sales support materials, rebate contracts (Rabattverträge), inventory loss compensation, MSV3 services, return management, and digital invoice delivery (Digitaler Belegversand).
• GI 4.0® Beipackzettel-App Digital package insert app developed by Rote Liste and sponsored by Hexal and 1 A Pharma, providing medication information and package leaflets digitally for German consumers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 1 A PharmaminorOthers1 A Pharma is listed as a sister brand under Hexal's 'Unsere Marken' (Our Brands) section. Both brands operate under the Sandoz umbrella in Germany, with 1 A Pharma representing another generic pharmaceutical brand in the German market alongside Hexal.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sandoz Group: Parent company of Hexal and one of the world's largest generics and biosimilars companies. Operates globally with a portfolio far broader than Hexal's, but Hexal sits within Sandoz as its flagship German brand.
• Viatris: Global generics and biosimilars major (formed from Mylan-Upjohn merger) with strong European footprint. Directly competes with Hexal in German generics tenders and pharmacy distribution.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries: World's largest generic drug manufacturer and owner of Ratiopharm. Competes with Hexal across German and European generic markets, including biosimilars and complex generics.

Direct peers

• Stada Arzneimittel: Major German-headquartered generics and consumer healthcare company with overlapping OTC and generic Rx portfolio. Directly competes with Hexal in German pharmacy channels and discount contracts.
• Ratiopharm (Teva): Germany's most iconic generics brand, now owned by Teva. Direct competitor to Hexal across prescription generics and OTC in German pharmacies, competing head-to-head for Rabattverträge tenders and pharmacist shelf preference.
• Aliud Pharma: German generics specialist (STADA group) operating exclusively through pharmacies with a broad prescription and OTC portfolio. Closely comparable to Hexal in go-to-market model and therapeutic breadth.
• Winthrop Arzneimittel: German generics manufacturer (Sanofi group) offering prescription and OTC products through pharmacies. Direct overlap with Hexal's generic Rx portfolio and pharmacy-channel strategy.
• Dermapharm Holding: German pharmaceutical company focused on branded generics and OTC products distributed through pharmacies. Comparable therapeutic area mix and pharmacy-channel distribution model.

Emerging players

• Aurobindo Pharma: Indian-headquartered global generics manufacturer with growing European and German presence. Competes with Hexal primarily on price in off-patent molecules and through parallel import channels.
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories: Global generics player with an active German subsidiary supplying prescription and OTC products through pharmacies. Partial overlap with Hexal's portfolio and channel model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgd1b1KIzSeEBYRF9jX_iZw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hexal
• Xx.com/hexal_ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Hexal