Dr. Pfleger

The company was founded in Bamberg in 1945 by Robert Pfleger, a professor and doctor whose name it still carries. For most of its history it traded as Dr. R. Pfleger Chemische Fabrik GmbH, a name it kept until 2018, when it became Dr. Pfleger Arzneimittel GmbH [10].

Its throat lozenge ipalat is among its longest-running products, although sources disagree on its age. The company's own history timeline places the launch in 1957 [1], while German Wikipedia dates it to 1937 [10]. Wikipedia names ipalat and the painkiller Neuralgin as the company's best-known over-the-counter products, and describes Spasmex, a trospium chloride medicine, as one of its own developments [10].

After Robert Pfleger's death, his will provided for a foundation bearing his name. The Doktor Robert Pfleger-Stiftung was established on 24 September 1974 and took over all shares in the company [3].

According to the company, it employs about 350 people and generated more than EUR 110 million in revenue in 2023 [2]. German Wikipedia gives older figures of 345 employees and EUR 75 million in revenue for 2020 [10].

Dr. Pfleger's catalogue is mostly pharmaceutical, but several of its brands sit in personal care and are sold without a prescription. The group's product overview lists six flagship names [5]:

- BIO-H-TIN, a range built around vitamin H tablets for hair and nails. - Apothekers Lippenbalsam, a pharmacy lip balm, which the company places in its lip and body care area. - SAL 29 Perfect Lips, a second lip-care line in the same non-prescription area. - ipalat, a throat lozenge for hoarseness; the company writes the name in lower case. - Neuralgin, a line of pain tablets. - Spasmex, a medicine based on trospium chloride.

On its own website, Dr. Pfleger gives the most prominent place to ipalat, BIO-H-TIN and Neuralgin [6].

Dr. Pfleger Arzneimittel GmbH is privately held and wholly owned by the Doktor Robert Pfleger-Stiftung, a non-profit foundation [3]. It is not listed on any stock exchange. The ownership arrangement dates from 1974, when all company shares passed to the newly created foundation three years after the founder's death, in line with his will.

According to the company, its surpluses flow into the charitable foundation rather than to private shareholders. Day-to-day management lies with the managing directors named in its legal notice, Joss Hertle and Ralf Will [4]. The company remains registered and headquartered in Bamberg.