Unipharma SA

What Unipharma SA does

Unipharma SA is a privately held Swiss pharmaceutical access company founded in 1947, headquartered in Lugano Barbengo with warehouse operations at Via Garone. The company operates a specialized B2B service model organized around four core service lines: (1) unlicensed and specialty medicine supply for pre-commercial access, medicine shortages, and discontinued or legacy drugs; (2) comparator and reference listed drug (RLD) sourcing for bioequivalence studies, formulation development, and clinical trials; (3) QA/RA and commercial partnership support providing regulatory affairs and quality management consulting; and (4) GDP-compliant storage, distribution, and lifecycle management services across international markets. Unipharma serves pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers, hospital pharmacies and healthcare professionals, and peer wholesalers, with patient access always mediated through licensed healthcare providers.

The company's underlying technology is GDP-compliant pharmaceutical supply chain infrastructure with controlled storage, distribution, and lifecycle management capabilities, supported by a documented quality management system. Core operational capabilities include traceability across the full medicine lifecycle, batch consistency for comparator products, temperature-controlled handling, and structured QA/RA partnership frameworks with documented governance. Unipharma also distributes consumer health products through exclusive Swiss-market partnerships — including the SF68 SLIPIDO probiotic (Cerbios Pharma, March 2026) and Acon Laboratories glucometers and test strips (October 2024) — marking selective expansion into adjacent therapeutic areas.

Commercially, Unipharma generates revenue through transaction fees on unlicensed and comparator medicine supply, managed services for storage and distribution, and professional services for QA/RA consulting, with case-by-case pricing that is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales targeting manufacturers and healthcare systems with channel partnerships including peer wholesalers and exclusive distribution agreements. The company is active in 40+ markets across all continents and self-describes being in a strong international growth phase, supported by ongoing hiring, new product launches, and strategic partnerships announced through 2025-2026.

Name

Unipharma SA

Legal name

Unipharma SA

Website

https://unipharma.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unipharma SA is a Swiss pharmaceutical access company founded in 1947 that supplies unlicensed and specialty medicines, comparator drugs for clinical trials, and GDP-compliant distribution services to pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospital pharmacies, and peer wholesalers across 40+ global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Health Supply Chain, Procurement & Access to Medicines (BPADAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pharmacy Benefit/Channel Services (PSAO, 340B Admin, Chargebacks/Rebates Ops) (CRAOAHAK)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution services
• Unlicensed medicine supply
• Comparator drug sourcing
• Medicine shortage solutions
• GDP-compliant distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lugano Barbengo

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Unlicensed Medicine Supply: UniPharma facilitates early access and pre-commercial supply of specialty and unlicensed medicines across international markets, supporting manufacturers and healthcare systems in accessing medicines prior to local marketing authorization or when facing shortages.
2. Comparator and Reference Listed Drug Supply: Supply of comparator products and reference drugs for clinical development, bioequivalence studies, formulation development and clinical trials. Revenue generated through sourcing, documentation, storage and distribution services.
3. Storage, Distribution and Lifecycle Management: GDP-compliant storage, inventory management, distribution and lifecycle coordination services including product billing, invoicing, payment collection, tenders and sales reporting.
4. QA/RA and Commercial Partnerships: Quality assurance and regulatory affairs support through consulting arrangements and long-term partnerships with manufacturers, CMOs and supply partners.
5. Exclusive Product Distribution: Exclusive distribution agreements for specific products in defined markets, such as the SF68 SLIPIDO probiotic in Switzerland and Acon Laboratories diagnostic products.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unipharma SA is a Swiss pharmaceutical access provider that sources, stores and distributes unlicensed, specialty and comparator medicines for pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospital pharmacies and peer wholesalers across more than 40 international markets. The company manages integrated access programmes covering pre-commercial supply, medicine shortage response, comparator and reference listed drug supply, GDP-compliant storage and distribution, and QA/RA partnership support, with exclusive Swiss distribution for products such as SF68 SLIPIDO and Acon diabetes diagnostics.

Product overview

Unipharma SA offers pharmaceutical access services organized into four core service lines: Unlicensed Medicine Supply (for pre-commercial access, medicine shortages, and discontinued medicines), Comparator and RLD Supply (for clinical development and bioequivalence studies), QA/RA & Commercial Partnerships (regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and strategic partnerships), and Storage, Distribution & Lifecycle Management (GDP-compliant warehousing and distribution). The company also distributes consumer health products including SF68 SLIPIDO probiotic supplement (cardio-metabolic health) and Acon glucometers/test strips for diabetes management, both in the Swiss market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unlicensed Medicine Supply Sourcing and supply of unlicensed and specialty medicines for pre-commercial access, medicine shortages and discontinued or legacy medicines across international markets. Designed for pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospital pharmacies and healthcare systems requiring compliant access outside standard commercial pathways.
• Comparator and RLD Supply Controlled sourcing and supply of comparator products and reference listed drugs (RLDs) for bioequivalence studies, formulation development and clinical trials, with defined specifications, batch consistency and temperature-controlled handling. Used by pharma and biotech R&D teams.
• QA/RA & Commercial Partnerships Structured quality assurance, regulatory affairs and commercial partnership services enabling compliant execution across multi-party pharmaceutical supply environments, including managed access, name-patient supply and integrated development models.
• Storage, Distribution & Lifecycle Management GDP-compliant storage, inventory management, distribution and lifecycle management services for pharmaceutical products, including controlled temperature handling, batch traceability, stock visibility, controlled release and product billing, invoicing, tenders and sales reporting.
• SF68 SLIPIDO Innovative probiotic supplement for cardio-metabolic health support based on the proprietary SF68 strain with over 40 years of clinical evidence. Distributed exclusively in Switzerland through partnership with Cerbios Pharma and supplied to pharmacies.
• Acon Glucometers and Test Strips Exclusive distribution of Acon Laboratories glucometers and test strips for diabetes management in the Swiss market, made available through pharmacies.

Segments4 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cerbios PharmacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 March 2026Unipharma and Cerbios signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the launch of SF68 SLIPIDO, an innovative probiotic solution for cardio-metabolic health, in Switzerland. Switzerland is the first market worldwide for this product, developed by Cerbios based on the proprietary probiotic strain SF68 with over 40 years of clinical evidence. The partnership combines Cerbios' scientific and manufacturing excellence with Unipharma's trusted distribution network.
• U-Earth Biotech-EarthminorOthers · 8 January 2026Partnership for installation of Pure Air Zone biotechnologies at UniPharma facilities. U-Earth's Pure Air Zone technology continuously attracts and neutralizes airborne impurities including viruses, bacteria, allergens and pollutants, creating a healthier work environment for UniPharma employees.
• Fondazione Maria Letizia Verga ETSminorOthers · 22 December 2025UniPhharma made a donation to Fondazione Maria Letizia Verga ETS, a leading organization dedicated to pediatric leukemia care and research, supporting children, families and high-impact scientific research. Part of UniPharma's corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• ACON LaboratoriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 November 2025Collaboration with ACON Laboratories to promote diabetes awareness days in Swiss pharmacies, providing clear guidance on diabetes prevention, personalized information for patients, and free on-site blood glucose testing.
• PHARMANOMOS SaglcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 October 2025Strategic collaboration for regulatory affairs and quality management services. PHARMANOMOS Sagl is a Swiss company specialized in regulatory affairs and quality management for pharma and healthcare sectors. The partnership extends UniPharma's support to pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers of medical devices and nutraceuticals.
• Acon Laboratories, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 October 2024Unipharma signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Acon Laboratories for the Swiss market, covering distribution of cutting-edge glucometers and test strips for diabetes management. Acon Laboratories is a global leader in diagnostic and medical devices providing innovative, reliable and affordable products in over 130 countries.
• Immobiliare PharmaParkminorOthers · 20 March 2024Partner supporting the installation of a state-of-the-art photovoltaic power plant at UniPharma's Lugano site, marking a significant step towards sustainability and environmental responsibility.
• PhargentisminorOthers · 20 March 2024Supporting the installation of a photovoltaic power plant at UniPharma's Lugano site as part of sustainability initiatives.
• UFD - Unione Farmaceutica Distribuzione SAminorOthers · 20 March 2024Supporting the installation of a photovoltaic power plant at UniPharma's Lugano site as part of sustainability initiatives. Part of the pharmaceutical distribution network in Ticino.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Durbin PLC: UK specialty pharmaceutical wholesaler focused on unlicensed medicines, comparators and clinical trial supply. Comparable to UniPharma in serving manufacturers and hospital pharmacies with hard-to-source or pre-authorisation products across international markets.
• Anovo: UK-based specialty pharma services provider focused on named-patient and early-access programmes. Direct peer to UniPharma in facilitating cross-border supply of unlicensed medicines to physicians and hospital pharmacies.
• Inceptua Group: Norway-headquartered pharma services firm specialising in comparator sourcing, clinical trial supply and unlicensed medicine access. Direct competitor in UniPharma's core service lines across international markets.
• BAP Pharma: UK-based comparator sourcing and clinical trial supply specialist. Closely comparable to UniPharma's Comparator and RLD Supply service line, serving the same pharmaceutical manufacturer and CRO client base for bioequivalence studies.
• Clinigen Group: UK-headquartered specialist in unlicensed, named-patient and clinical-trial comparator supply. Direct competitor to UniPharma in cross-border early-access and shortage-solution distribution for pharmaceutical manufacturers and hospital pharmacies.

Broad incumbents

• Almac Group: Northern Ireland-headquartered contract development and manufacturing organisation offering clinical trial supply, comparator sourcing and commercial distribution. Larger, broader incumbent competing with UniPharma in clinical supply and distribution but at much greater scale and scope.
• McKesson Corporation: Global pharmaceutical distribution giant offering wholesale, specialty distribution and biopharma services. Broad incumbent whose specialty distribution division overlaps with UniPharma's cross-border specialty and unlicensed medicine supply.

Emerging players

• PharmaLex: Provider of regulatory affairs, quality management and pharmacovigilance consulting to pharma and biotech. Comparable to UniPharma's QA/RA partnership and consulting service line, though focused on consulting rather than physical distribution.

Regional players

• Galexis AG: Swiss pharmaceutical wholesaler and distribution company covering the domestic Swiss market. Comparable regional peer operating in the same geography as UniPharma's domestic distribution channel, though with a broader general pharma portfolio rather than specialty focus.
• Alloga (Galenica): Swiss pharmaceutical pre-wholesale and logistics provider, part of the Galenica group. Regional peer operating comparable GDP-compliant storage and distribution services for Swiss pharmacies and hospitals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unipharma-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Unipharma SA