What Engelhard Arzneimittel does

Engelhard Arzneimittel GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, fifth-generation family-owned German OTC pharmaceutical company founded in 1872 by pharmacist Karl Philipp Engelhard and headquartered in Niederdorfelden, Hessen. The company researches, develops and packages a portfolio of branded phytopharmaceutical and OTC medicines — flagship Prospan® (cough/bronchitis, based on the proprietary EA 575® ivy leaf dry extract), Sinolpan® (sinusitis, cineol-based), isla® (sore throat, Icelandic moss), Tyrosur® (wound care, tyrothricin), Velgastin® (digestive), Mykoderm® (antifungal), Glycilax® (laxative), Trachilid® and Zinksalbe Dialon® — with the 2026 addition of the Novalac specialised infant-nutrition line. All production is concentrated at the GMP-certified Niederdorfelden site, including a new 8,000 m² two-storey production building opened in May 2023 that houses a Groninger line capable of filling up to 200 Prospan® bottles per minute. The company is the world market leader in plant-based cough syrup and markets its brands in more than 100 countries, with more than 500 employees and a 2023 revenue base of over €160 million.

The business model rests on selling exclusively through pharmacies (Apotheken-vertrieb) in Germany and via country-specific distribution partners internationally, with a direct field-sales force now operating in Austria after the September 2023 in-housing and a US partner arrangement in place from 2023. Therapeutic-equivalent prices are set at the point of sale by pharmacies under the German Apothekenpreisbindung and equivalent national regulations, making the model a unit-pricing, B2B-to-pharmacy sale. Engelhard complements this with a healthcare-professional engagement layer — the DocCheck-gated Engelhard Fachportal, the Engelhard Campus e-learning platform, the Selfcare Saturdays live-event series, and the monthly 'OHNE RISIKEN UND NEBENWIRKUNGEN' podcast — and consumer-facing campaigns such as the Prospan® 'Spürbar Stark' empowerment initiative.

The company's competitive position is anchored in proprietary science (the 2003 elucidation of the alpha-hederin mechanism, 65,000+ patient datasets for EA 575® and DGP/DEGAM guideline references), regulatory credentials (GMP, ISO 13485, EU MDR 2017/745, Pharmacovigilance), and Made-in-Germany brand equity. Governance remains tightly family-controlled through managing directors Oliver Karl Maximilian Engelhard, Richard Mark Engelhard and Dr. Rolf Engelhard, with a recently professionalised second tier of management (CCSO, Director HR, Director International Sales) established in September 2025 to drive an explicitly stated data-driven, customer-centric transformation.

Name

Engelhard Arzneimittel

Legal name

Engelhard Arzneimittel GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://engelhard.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Engelhard Arzneimittel is a fifth-generation, family-owned German OTC pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and distributes branded phytopharmaceutical and OTC medicines — including flagship Prospan®, Sinolpan®, isla® and Tyrosur® — exclusively through pharmacies in Germany and via distribution partners in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

OTC Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Allergy, Sinus & Respiratory (Non-Asthma) (HLAIADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dermatology OTC & Skin Health (Acne Treatments, Eczema/Psoriasis OTC, Antifungals, Wart Removal) (CRADAMAF)

Keywords

• OTC pharmaceuticals
• Phytopharmaceutical medicines
• Cough remedies
• Wound care products
• Respiratory therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Niederdorfelden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. OTC medicine sales via pharmacies: Core revenue stream: Engelhard researches, develops and packages branded OTC medicines (Prospan®, Sinolpan®, isla®, Tyrosur®, Velgastin®, Trachilid®, Mykoderm®, Glycilax®, etc.) and sells them exclusively through pharmacies; all production is Made in Germany at the Niederdorfelden site. Annual revenue disclosed in press footers ranges from approximately €110 million (2022) to €160 million (2023).
2. International distribution partnerships: Revenue generated via international sales partners/distributors selling Engelhard brands (Prospan®, isla®, Sinolpan®, Tyrosur®, Velgastin®) into more than 100 countries; recently the Austrian market was internalized (since Sept 2023) and the USA market was opened via an American distribution partner (since 2023).
3. Engelhard Fachportal professional portal & bonus program: Free registration-based specialist portal for pharmacists and physicians, including DocCheck-authenticated sign-up, a bonus/loyalty program with premium shop, webinar training and product literature; supports sales through healthcare professionals but is not directly monetized in the public sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Engelhard Arzneimittel researches, develops, manufactures, and packages branded over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products — primarily phytopharmaceuticals — at its GMP-certified site in Niederdorfelden, Germany. Its core portfolio spans respiratory (Prospan®, Sinolpan®), throat (isla®, Trachilid®), wound and skin (Tyrosur®, Mykoderm®, Zinksalbe Dialon®), digestive (Velgastin®, Glycilax®) and antiseptic (Chlorhexidindigluconat) remedies, distributed exclusively through pharmacies in more than 100 countries.

Product overview

Engelhard Arzneimittel operates a multi-brand OTC pharmaceutical portfolio rather than a single unified software product. The portfolio is organized around core therapeutic categories: respiratory (Prospan, Sinolpan forte, Nisita), throat (isla, Trachilid), wound care (Tyrosur, Zinksalbe Dialon), skin and antifungals (Mykoderm), digestive (Glycilax, Velgastin), and oral antiseptics (Chlorhexidindigluconat), with Novalac as a newly added infant-nutrition line. Two platform layers serve the professional audience: the Engelhard Fachportal (a DocCheck-gated HCP portal for pharmacists and physicians) and the Engelhard Campus (an e-learning/training platform at campus.engelhard.de). The website engelhard.de acts as the consumer-facing front door tying these brands, products, and platforms together.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prospan®: Flagship respiratory brand; ivy-leaf dry extract (EA 575®) range including cough syrup, cough drops, effervescent tablets and lozenges for productive cough and chronic bronchial inflammation.
• Sinolpan®
• isla®
• Tyrosur®
• Velgastin®
• Mykoderm®
• Glycilax®
• Chlorhexidindigluconat
• Zinksalbe Dialon®
• Trachilid®
• Novalac

Products and services

• Prospan® Flagship Engelhard OTC brand for cough and bronchial complaints, based on proprietary ivy leaf dry extract EA 575®. Available in multiple dosage forms — Hustenliquid, Hustensaft (alcohol-free, sugar-free), Hustentropfen, Husten-Lutschpastillen, and Husten-Brausetabletten — covering pediatric and adult use. World market leader in plant-based cough syrup; sold in more than 100 countries.
• Sinolpan® forte Sinolpan® forte 200 mg enteric-coated soft capsules (EA 6,8) containing Cineol for the treatment of acute and chronic airway diseases including bronchitis, cold symptoms and adjunct treatment of sinusitis/rhinosinusitis. Demonstrated 64% reduction in rhinosinusitis symptom frequency vs 56% for nasal decongestant spray.
• isla® Long-established Engelhard throat lozenge brand (heritage dating to 1868 Iceland Moss preparations), positioned for irritated throat, hoarseness and dry coughs. Range includes classic Isla-Moos lozenges and the isla® med hydro+ hydrated variant launched in 2014.
• Tyrosur® Wound healing brand launched in 1959 containing the active ingredient tyrothricin. Covers Tyrosur® Wundheilgel (wound healing gel), Tyrosur® Wundheilpuder (wound healing powder) and Tyrosur® CareExpert Wundgel (dexpanthenol hydrogel medical device for tattoo and minor-wound care). Used for minor wounds, abrasions and burns.
• Mykoderm®
• Zinksalbe Dialon® Zinc-oxide wound and skin ointment descended from the 1890 Dialon product line, used for skin protection, minor wounds, chapped or irritated skin and as a covering ointment.
• Glycilax® Glycerin-based rectal laxative suppositories (Glycilax für Erwachsene / Glycilax für Kinder) for short-term relief of constipation.
• Chlorhexidindigluconat (Engelhard private label) Mouth and throat antiseptic product line based on chlorhexidine digluconate — 0.2% ready-to-use solution and 2% concentrate — for temporary reduction of oral bacterial load and periodontal support.
• Velgastin® OTC product range for digestive complaints including flatulence and bloating. Available as Velgastin® Blähungen Kautabletten (chewable tablets) and Velgastin® Blähungen Suspension (drops).
• Trachilid® Throat pain lozenge product (Halsschmerztabletten) containing lidocaine hydrochloride for short-term local treatment of sore throat in non-purulent infections.
• Nisita® Nasal care range covering Nisita Dosierspray (metered-dose nasal spray with saline) and Nisita Nasensalbe (nasal ointment) for dry and irritated nasal mucosa.
• Novalac infant nutrition line Line of four new specialised infant nutrition products added in April 2026 under the Novalac brand, expanding Engelhard's portfolio from OTC medicines into the baby / infant formula segment in Germany.

Quantifiable outcome

• EA 575® (Prospan®) achieved a 93.4% BSS-responder rate vs 76.5% for placebo using the IQWiG 15%-of-scale criterion
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core (austrian market), mid-tier (industry association), mid-tier (research endorsement), mid-tier (brand purpose campaign), minor (scientific kol), mid-tier (medical congress), flagship (usa market entry), core (hcp authentication), mid-tier (webinars), mid-tier (newsletter), mid-tier (payment), mid-tier (web), core (data-protection compliance) and core (emergency hotline).

• Sanova Pharma GesmbHcore (austrian market)Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2023Long-standing Austrian pharmaceutical distribution partner for Prospan® and isla®. As of September 2023, Engelhard internalized Austrian sales/brand management directly from Niederdorfelden while Sanova transitioned to a logistics-partner role supporting Engelhard in Austria.
• Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie (BPI) e.V.mid-tier (industry association)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023BPI's Hauptgeschäftsführer Dr. Kai Joachimsen publicly endorsed Engelhard as a flagship German mid-sized pharma company at the May 2023 plant opening.
• Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW)mid-tier (research endorsement)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023DIW President Prof. Marcel Fratzscher participated in the May 2023 plant opening and publicly linked Engelhard's investment to the German 'Mittelstand' innovation model.
• Junge Helden e.V.mid-tier (brand purpose campaign)GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Co-marketing partnership behind the #optink organ-donor tattoo initiative: Tyrosur® CareExpert Wundgel is promoted in participating tattoo studios across Germany (Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg etc.) and given to tattoo clients, while Junge Helden e.V. supplies the tattoo motif and a network of 300+ partner tattoo studios.
• Professor Ralph Mösges (HNO specialist, presenter of EA 575® meta-analysis)minor (scientific kol)Others · 1 April 2023Key opinion leader who presented the EA 575® meta-analysis and responder analysis as a poster at the 63rd DGP Congress in Düsseldorf (March/April 2023); research and congress activity sponsored by Engelhard.
• Gesellschaft für pädiatrische Pneumologie e.V. (GPP)mid-tier (medical congress)GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2023Sponsorship of the 'Pädiatrische Atemwegserkrankungen in der Praxis' industry symposium at the 44th GPP Annual Meeting (Frankfurt, March 2023), chaired by Prof. Stefan Zielen, to discuss phytotherapy in pediatric respiratory disease.
• Unnamed American distribution partnerflagship (usa market entry)Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2022Strategic US distribution partner chosen to roll out Prospan® across all 50 US states from 2023; positioned as a 'strategisch stark' partner with strong retail presence and high growth potential — Engelhard's entry point into the US OTC market, where non-prescription products are sold largely out-of-the-shelf rather than through pharmacies.
• DocCheckcore (hcp authentication)Technology or IntegrationAuthentication-as-a-service integration that lets pharmacists and physicians register on the Engelhard Fachportal using their DocCheck credentials, transferring specialty, first name and last name into Engelhard's account database.
• IAK+ Institut für Apothekenkommunikationmid-tier (webinars)Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner organizing and running Engelhard's online continuing-education webinars for pharmacists and physicians; acts as data processor under Art. 28 GDPR.
• CleverReachmid-tier (newsletter)Technology or IntegrationNewsletter dispatch service provider used for the free Engelhard Fachportal newsletter; receives email address, name, profession, interests and statistical usage data.
• Heidelberger Payment GmbHmid-tier (payment)Technology or IntegrationPayment-services provider that processes orders in the Engelhard Fachportal Webshop via a secure iFrame interface (credit card, instant payment, PayPal); Engelhard does not store payment details itself.
• SIRUP GmbHmid-tier (web)Technology or IntegrationBerlin-based web-support partner for the Engelhard Fachportal account-creation process.
• gds – Gesellschaft für Datenschutz Mittelhessen mbH (Henning Welz)core (data-protection compliance)OthersAppointed external Data Protection Officer for Engelhard Arzneimittel under GDPR, providing [email protected] as the contact for data-subject inquiries.
• Universitätsklinik Bonn – Informationszentrale für Vergiftungsfällecore (emergency hotline)OthersPublic poison-information center at the University Hospital Bonn acts as Engelhard's after-hours emergency contact for medical-toxicology incidents involving Engelhard products.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bionorica SE: German phytopharmaceutical specialist whose flagship Sinupret (for sinusitis/rhinosinusitis) competes head-to-head with Engelhard's Sinolpan® cineol-based sinusitis franchise. Closest category analogue to Engelhard's evidence-led, plant-based respiratory OTC positioning.
• Klosterfrau München GmbH: Heritage German OTC brand house built on plant-based remedies (e.g., Klosterfrau Melissengeist, Tiger Balm distribution). Comparable mid-sized family-owned Mittelständler competing in pharmacy-channel herbal OTCs.
• Hevert Arzneimittel GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned German phytopharmaceutical and homeopathic manufacturer with overlapping respiratory, sinus and OTC indication portfolio. Closely mirrors Engelhard's family-owned, German Mittelstand pharma positioning.
• Schwabe Pharma AG: Phytopharmaceutical manufacturer behind brands such as Umckaloabo and Tebonin. Direct competitor in evidence-based plant-based OTC respiratory and ENT categories.
• WALA Heilmittel GmbH: German manufacturer of natural medicines and anthroposophic pharmaceuticals distributed through pharmacies. Comparable in pharmacy-channel plant-based positioning and Mittelstand family governance.

Broad incumbents

• STADA Arzneimittel AG: Large German-headquartered OTC and generics player with broad respiratory and self-care portfolio (e.g., Grippostad, Silomat). Significantly larger and broader than Engelhard, but overlaps directly on the OTC cough/cold shelf.
• Bayer Consumer Health: Global OTC incumbent anchored by Aspirin, Claritin and a broad respiratory/GI self-care portfolio. Competes for the same German pharmacy shelf space as Prospan® and Sinolpan®, with vastly larger marketing scale.
• P&G Health (Procter & Gamble): Major OTC multinational active in cough/cold and respiratory (Vicks, etc.). Provides a benchmark for what scale-up of a Prospan®-type plant-based respiratory brand into mass-market global distribution could look like.
• Merz Consumer Care GmbH: German OTC player (Tebonin, Hong Wei, Antistax) with overlapping phytopharmaceutical/OTC positioning. Broader portfolio than Engelhard, but comparable pharmacy-channel, evidence-led model.

Emerging players

• Deutsche Homöopathie-Union (DHU): German natural-medicine manufacturer operating in adjacent phytopharmaceutical/homeopathic OTC categories. Comparable pharmacy distribution and natural-product orientation, though narrower brand scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/engelhard-arzneimittel
• Instagraminstagram.com/engelhardarzneimittel

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Engelhard Arzneimittel