Schaer Pharma

What Schaer Pharma does

Schaer Pharma is a privately held Swiss family-owned pharmaceutical and consumer health company headquartered in Itingen, Canton Basel-Landschaft, with origins tracing to the 1989 founding of Tentan AG. The company manufactures and distributes an extensive portfolio of 244 products spanning more than 40 brands across pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, dental care, intimate care, and personal care categories, including GEM (throat and respiratory), Tentapik (sonic toothbrushes with UV-Clean sanitization), Eduard Vogt (personal care with refill service since the 1970s), Gynofit (intimate care), Ginsana and Gincosan (cognitive and physical performance), Equazen (omega-3), Elgydium (oral care), and licensed brands such as Urgo. Products are manufactured almost exclusively in Switzerland under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, with technical differentiation concentrated in mechanical/electronic consumer devices rather than software or data systems.

The company operates a multi-channel distribution model combining Swiss retail (pharmacies, drugstores, and major chains including Coop, Migros, Spar, Denner, Fust), direct-to-consumer sales through an online shop and factory outlet at headquarters, a regional field sales team covering Swiss linguistic and cantonal territories, and international export through local specialists in more than 40 countries. Wholly-owned subsidiaries (Tentan AG, Tentan Deutschland GmbH, Tentan Hongkong Ltd., Tentan UK Ltd., Medicoss AG) support both domestic operations and regional market entry. Manufacturing infrastructure at Itingen, including a building completed in 2009 and CO2-negative energy infrastructure (solar capacity equivalent to 43 single-family homes, pellet heating, high insulation), anchors the company's Swiss-quality and sustainability positioning.

The business model is a one-time unit-pricing consumer health and OTC wholesale/retail model with no subscription or licensing-of-technology revenue line. The company generates revenue through direct product sales via owned channels (online shop, factory outlet), Swiss B2B distribution into pharmacy and retail, and export distribution through local partners. The Schaer family retains ownership and operating control, with Pascal Schaer as Owner and CEO and Michel Schaer as President of the Board. The growth playbook combines organic product line extension (four new launches in the last twelve months), brand tuck-in acquisitions (most recently Gem/Haspe in 2021), and international export expansion, with corporate structure simplified in 2020 to consolidate legacy acquisitions.

Name

Schaer Pharma

Legal name

Schaer Pharma Service GmbH

Website

https://www.schaer-pharma.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schaer Pharma is a privately held Swiss family-owned pharmaceutical and consumer health company that manufactures and distributes 244 health, wellness, and personal care products across 40+ brands to Swiss pharmacies, retailers, and export markets in 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAB), Pharmacy Supply Chain & Secondary Distribution (Repackagers/Redistributors) (CRAOAHAC)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Dietary supplements
• Consumer healthcare
• Natural cosmetics
• Oral hygiene products

Headquarters

HQ city

Ittingen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Health Products Sales: One-time product sales of health and wellness products including supplements, cosmetics, dental care, and personal care items. Revenue generated through direct retail, online shop, factory outlet, and B2B distribution to pharmacies and drugstores.
2. Product Licensing and Brand Distribution: Distribution of owned brands (GEM, Leucen, Eduard Vogt, Tentapik, Gynofit, etc.) and licensed brands (Elgydium, Equazen, Urgo, etc.) through Swiss and international markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Schaer Pharma is a Swiss family-owned pharmaceutical and healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and distributes pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and personal care products. Operating GMP-certified manufacturing facilities almost exclusively in Switzerland, the company offers 244 products across 40+ brands, distributed in more than 40 countries through retail pharmacies, drugstores, hospitals, online channels, and export partners.

Product overview

Schaer Pharma is a Swiss family-owned pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Itingen, Canton Baselland, with over 30 years of history (founded 1989). The company manufactures and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of health and wellness products across pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. Products are manufactured according to GMP standards and almost exclusively in Switzerland, distributed through pharmacies, drugstores, and retail chains (Coop, Migros, Spar, Denner, Fust) in over 40 countries worldwide. The company operates an online shop and factory outlet store. The product portfolio spans 40+ brands including: pharmaceutical products (Ginsana, Gincosan for mental/physical performance), oral healthcare (Tentapik sonic toothbrushes, Elgydium dental care), personal care (Eduard Vogt Origin skincare/shower gel series with refill service), intimate care (Gynofit), GEM herbal lozenges for throat/respiratory care, Equazen omega-3 supplements, and traditional herbal products (Kräuter-Pfarrer Künzle).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEM: Cough and cold remedies including lozenges, syrups, and throat pastilles
• Leucen
• Tentapik
• Eduard Vogt
• Gynofit
• Elgydium
• Equazen
• Ginsana
• Gincosan
• Kräuter-Pfarrer Künzle
• Urgo
• Pinus Pygenol
• Allvita
• Fortevital

Products and services

• Dr. Schaer Gluten-Free Food Range
• Pharmaceutical Specialty Brands
• Dietary Supplements
• Personal Care and Cosmetics
• Oral Hygiene Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Products available in over 40 countries worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Galliker Green LogisticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sustainable transportation logistics. Together with Galliker Green Logistics, Schaer Pharma makes transport routes more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient. This collaboration supports the company's sustainability strategy and CO2-neutral operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hänseler AG: Swiss pharmaceutical company combining GMP manufacturing, contract manufacturing and distribution of pharma/OTC products to Swiss pharmacies. Comparable combination of in-house manufacturing and pharma distribution that mirrors Schaer's model.
• Bionorica SE: German herbal pharmaceutical company with branded phytopharmaceutical OTC products (e.g., Sinupret, Canephron) sold internationally through pharmacy channels. Comparable product mix and export-driven growth model, though larger.
• Dr. A. & L. Schmidgall GmbH & Co KG: Austrian family-owned pharmaceutical company producing branded OTC and complementary medicines distributed via European pharmacies. Similar family-owned, mid-sized, herbal-OTC positioning.
• Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH: German manufacturer of natural medicines distributed internationally through pharmacies and healthcare practitioners. Similar portfolio breadth across OTC and complementary medicine categories.
• A. Vogel (Bioforce AG): Swiss family-owned herbal pharmaceutical company with a comparable portfolio of branded OTC and herbal remedies (cough, cold, immunity) distributed through Swiss pharmacies and drugstores. Closest analog to Schaer in size, geography and herbal-OTC positioning.
• Max Zeller Söhne AG: Swiss mid-sized herbal pharmaceutical company with own brands of plant-based OTC and gynecological remedies sold via Swiss pharmacies. Similar scale, GMP manufacturing profile and channel mix to Schaer.
• Weleda AG: Swiss-headquartered natural cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturer combining branded OTC anthroposophic medicines with personal care products, distributed via pharmacies and retail. Closely comparable portfolio architecture to Schaer's pharma-plus-cosmetics mix.
• Schwabe Pharma AG: Swiss/German manufacturer of branded herbal and homeopathic pharmaceutical products sold primarily via pharmacies and drugstores. Closely comparable GMP-manufactured herbal pharma profile.

Regional players

• Galexis AG: Leading Swiss pharmaceutical wholesaler and logistics provider serving pharmacies and drugstores. Comparable only on the distribution layer; useful reference for the Swiss pharma supply chain in which Schaer competes and depends.

Broad incumbents

• Haleon plc: Global consumer health multinational (Centrum, Voltaren, Sensodyne) with broad OTC and oral-care portfolios overlapping with Schaer's Elgydium and Tentapik lines. Useful as a benchmark for category economics and competitive intensity, not as a direct scale peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Schaerpharmafabrikladen
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• Xx.com/schaerpharma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schaer-pharma

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 Schaer Pharma