What Dong-A Pharmaceutical does

Dong-A Pharmaceutical is a Seoul-headquartered, publicly listed (KRX ticker 170900) Korean consumer healthcare company founded in 1932 and operating as a subsidiary of Dong-A Socio Holdings following the 2013 holding-company spin-off. As of 2025 it employs approximately 1,052 staff and reported revenue of 726 billion KRW (~$540M) with operating profit of 86.9 billion KRW, representing a 10.2% revenue CAGR over 2022-2025. The company serves Korean and select international consumers through a portfolio of 280+ products across eight categories — OTC drugs, quasi-drugs, medical devices, health functional foods, cosmetics, mixed drinks, food, and others — organized into four business divisions (Bacchus, OTC, HTC, FATION). Heritage brands such as Bacchus (since 1963, ~276 billion KRW annual production in 2023), Panpyrin (since 1961), Garglin (Korea's first liquid mouthwash, since 1982), TEMPO (since 1977, FDA-cleared in 2022), and MINIMAX provide durable consumer healthcare cash flow, complemented by newer growth brands including FATION derma cosmetics (launched 2019, Olive Young '100 Billion Club' 2024), ORTHOMOL (German premium supplement, 35-country export reach, 120 billion KRW in 2023 sales), and Vetple (pet care, launched January 2024).

Product development is anchored in proprietary formulation, transdermal drug delivery (e.g., TERBINEW), and dermatological technologies with multiple granted Korean patents covering anti-fungal transdermal compositions, scar-treatment formulations, periodontal compositions, and lipid-nanoparticle delivery. Manufacturing is vertically integrated across three GMP/ISO-certified plants in South Korea: Dangjin (Bacchus line, completed 2021, capacity 320M bottles/year), Cheonan (first KGMP-certified in Korea, capacity 2,400 bottles/minute), and Icheon (ointments and quasi-drugs acquired from The Lamy Cosmetics production unit in 2001). The R&D Center in Yongin-si houses a Children's Health Research Center and Derma Research Center, with research programs in consumer-oriented innovation, materials, formulation, sensory and analytical science, and sustainability.

Revenue is generated through multi-channel distribution: pharmacy networks, retail outlets, dedicated brand e-commerce storefronts (Dmall, FATIONmall, DAPmall), online marketplaces, and exports to approximately 20 countries (Bacchus line) and 35 countries (ORTHOMOL). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by category across OTC, quasi-drug, health-functional-food, and cosmetics SKUs. Customer concentration is structurally low given the long-tail consumer base across fragmented everyday-health, energy/fatigue, derma/skincare, child health, feminine care, and oral health segments; branded generic manufacturers and CPG peers in Korea serve as the primary competitive set, with no major enterprise-anchor customers evidenced in the input data.

Name

Dong-A Pharmaceutical

Legal name

DONGA PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD

Website

https://dapharm.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Dong-A Pharmaceutical is a Seoul-based, KRX-listed Korean consumer healthcare company (founded 1932) operating 280+ OTC, quasi-drug, health functional food, and cosmetics products across heritage brands like Bacchus, Panpyrin, and FATION for everyday Korean and select international consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold, Flu, Cough & Allergy Remedies (Decongestants, Antihistamines, Cough Syrups, Lozenges) (CRADAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multivitamins & Daily Packs (CRADAGAC), Personal Care Wipes & On-the-Go Hygiene (Non-medical) (CRADANAJ)

Keywords

• Consumer healthcare products
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Health functional foods
• Derma cosmetics

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer Healthcare Products: Revenue from OTC medicines, quasi-drugs, health functional foods, cosmetics, medical devices, and food/beverage products sold through retail pharmacies, direct-to-consumer brand malls, and retail stores
2. Export/International Sales: Revenue from exporting products to approximately 20 countries globally, including Bacchus and various pharmaceutical products

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dong-A Pharmaceutical manufactures and sells more than 280 consumer healthcare products across OTC medicines, quasi-drugs, medical devices, health functional foods, cosmetics, food, and mixed drinks under brands such as BACCHUS, Panpyrin, Garglin, GUMGUARD, TEMPO, FATION, ORTHOMOL, and MINIMAX. The company also exports products to approximately 20 countries and operates a domestic pharmacy, retail, and brand-owned e-commerce distribution network.

Product overview

Dong-A Pharmaceutical is a comprehensive consumer healthcare company with a portfolio of 280+ products across 8 categories: OTC drugs (79 products), quasi-drugs (32 products), medical devices (12 products), health functional foods (65 products), cosmetics (42 products), others (31 products), food (8 products), and mixed drinks (11 products). The company operates through four main business divisions: BACCHUS (energy/restorative tonics), OTC (cold medicines like Panpyrin, fever reducers like Champ), Healthcare To Consumer (Garglin mouthwash, TEMPO feminine care, GUMGUARD gum care), and FATION derma cosmetics. Key brands include BACCHUS (Korea's fatigue reliever since 1963), Panpyrin (cold medicine since 1961), Noscarna (acne scar treatment), ORTHOMOL (German premium supplements), Garglin (mouthwash since 1982), and MINIMAX (children's nutritionals). The company also offers specialized products for oral care (EYEBON, Cleadent), skin care (D-panthenol), feminine hygiene (MYVLAR), and pet care (Vetple launched 2024). The R&D pipeline includes OTC drugs for pain, neuropathic pain, and skin conditions, as well as functional ingredients for immune, hair, hangover, stomach, gum, and respiratory health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bacchus: Korea's iconic restorative tonic energy drink, launched in 1963. Products include Bacchus-D, Bacchus-F, and Bacchus-Decafe.
• Panpyrin
• Garglin
• TEMPO
• Noscarna
• GUMGUARD
• ORTHOMOL
• MINIMAX
• FATION
• Morning care
• Champ
• Benachio

Products and services

• BACCHUS Korea's iconic restorative tonic containing Taurine for fatigue relief, available in BACCHUS-D (Taurine 2,000mg), BACCHUS-F (Taurine 1,000mg), and BACCHUS-Decafe variants. Targeted at consumers seeking energy restoration.
• Panpyrin Early-stage cold medicine effective against colds, fever, headaches, and chills; a trusted Korean consumer brand since 1961 with a recognizable mascot and catchphrase.
• Champ Fever reducer and cold medicine formulated for children to address pediatric respiratory and digestive health concerns.
• Noscarna First acne scar treatment in Korea containing a triple combination of Heparin Sodium, Allantoin, and Dexpanthenol for scar healing.
• Benachio Herbal digestive remedy providing comfortable stomach relief using natural ingredients.
• ORTHOMOL German premium health functional food providing micronutrients including vitamin C, vitamins A, B, E, K, zinc, selenium, and folic acid. Exported to 35 countries and recognized as Best Brand for Dietary Supplements in German pharmacies in 2020 and 2022.
• Garglin Korea's pioneering liquid mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride hydrate (CPC) and sodium fluoride for cavity prevention. No. 1 brand in the domestic mouthwash market.
• GUMGUARD Gum care product containing patented 5-complex ingredients effective against cavities, bad breath, gingivitis, and periodontitis.
• TEMPO Leading Korean feminine hygiene brand since 1977, specializing in tampons and menstrual products. No. 1 tampon brand in South Korea.
• Morning care Hangover remedy that helps protect the liver from alcohol-induced damage, formulated based on clinical data.
• MINIMAX Children's nutritional supplement featuring MMX-Solution design principles, free of artificial additives including synthetic flavors, colors, aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.
• FATION Derma cosmetics brand designed by dermatologists for problem skin with thoroughly verified skin irritation testing. FATION NOSCA9 Trouble Serum ranked No. 1 at Hwahae Awards for first half of 2024.
• MYVLAR Contraceptive product brand providing users with a trusted contraceptive option.
• Melatoning Medicine for pigmentation treatment containing hypoallergenic skin lightening composition comprising hydroquinone.
• Garglin Kids Children's mouthwash developed by the Children's Health Research Center with safe natural ingredients.
• Terbinew Transdermal medicine for hyperkeratotic athlete's foot containing antifungal active substances with enhanced drug penetration into keratin tissues (Patent No. 10-2015-0054524).
• EOLBAK Energy drink product line available in multiple variants including EOLBAK 210mL, 230mL, Peach, and Shine Muscat flavors.
• Vetple Pet care brand offering Calming Chew, Calming Stick, Eye Chew, Hairball Stick, Joint Chew, LactoDental, and Urinary Stick products for pet stress and health management.
• EYEBON Eye wash product for ophthalmic care, providing cleansing and relief for eye irritation.
• LACTO VI'V Probiotics product line to restore healthy bowel movement, including feminine care variants.
• Circulan Healthy aging product line including Circulan Arginine 6000, Circulan CoQ10, and Circulan RTG Omega-3 variants.
• Bigen Long-lasting hair dye product line with over 30 years of sales history, available in cream tone and powder formulations.
• WINK Condom brand including WINK max pleasure natural latex condom, developed as a medical device for personal care.
• GYNOLAX Feminine hygiene product line including Gynolax Feminine Inner Balance and Gynolax Feminine Clean Wipes.
• E-Check Menopause diagnosis test kit for women's health monitoring.
• Melatonin Cream Skincare cream from Dong-A Pharmaceutical that surpassed 3 million units in sales.
• Eolbaksa Zero Sugar-free energy drink expanding Dong-A's presence in the zero-sugar energy drink market segment.

Quantifiable outcome

• NOSCARNA achieved cumulative sales exceeding 58B KRW by 2024, 12 years after launch
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trius Therapeutics (US)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Licensing agreement signed in 2007 with Trius Therapeutics, US, to develop and commercialize Tedizolid (superbacteria antibiotic) worldwide, excluding South Korea. This represents Dong-A's strategic move into antibiotic development for global markets.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Lion Corporation: Japanese consumer healthcare company specializing in oral care, OTC, and household products. Comparable on oral care (GUMGUARD vs. Lion oral portfolio) and Japanese/Korean CPG crossover categories.

Direct peers

• Hanmi Pharmaceutical: Korean pharma major with both prescription and consumer health franchises. Comparable as a Korea-based pharma manufacturer with branded OTC and quasi-drug revenue streams and GMP-certified production.
• Yuhan Corporation: One of Korea's largest pharmaceutical companies with a diversified OTC, prescription, and consumer healthcare portfolio. Direct peer given similar Korean market focus, broad consumer health brand portfolio, and OTC manufacturing scale.
• Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical: Historic Korean pharmaceutical company with OTC and prescription products in similar therapeutic categories. Comparable scale, Korea-domiciled manufacturing, and consumer healthcare distribution model.
• GC (formerly Green Cross Holdings): Korean biopharmaceutical and consumer health group producing OTC medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products. Peer via parallel Korean consumer healthcare manufacturing, distribution scale, and brand-led OTC approach.
• Kolmar Korea: Korean cosmetics, health functional food, and OTC manufacturer with comparable scale and derma-cosmetics OEM/brand model. Peer on CPG manufacturing infrastructure and Korean derma/health food channel overlap.
• Taisho Pharmaceutical: Japanese OTC pharma major famous for Lipovitan D energy drink (functional tonic analogue to Bacchus). Closest direct peer on the restorative tonic/energy drink business model and Japan/Korea consumer healthcare adjacency.

Broad incumbents

• LG H&H (LG Household & Health Care): Korean CPG leader spanning cosmetics (Whoo, Su:m37°), personal care, and household products. Comparable on derma/cosmetics competition with FATION and overlapping health/beauty retail channels.
• Kao Corporation: Japanese CPG multinational with health and beauty care, life care, and cosmetics segments. Adjacent comparable given overlap in feminine care, oral care, and Asian consumer healthcare brand portfolios.
• Amorepacific: Korea's largest cosmetics group with broad derma and prestige beauty portfolio. Comparable as a Korean derma-cosmetics incumbent competing directly with FATION for share and shelf space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@donga_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/dapharm
• Instagraminstagram.com/donga_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dong-a-pharmaceutical-co.-ltd

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Dong-A Pharmaceutical