Steierl

Steierl is the brand name of Steierl-Pharma GmbH, a family-owned German maker of naturopathic medicines based in Herrsching am Ammersee, Bavaria. Pharmacist and chemist Hans Steierl sen. started producing medicines in Munich in July 1949 [2], and the company has since grown into a manufacturer of complex homeopathic combination medicines, meaning remedies that blend several homeopathic ingredients in a single preparation.

Most of the range consists of pharmacy-only medicines for conditions ranging from joint complaints to menopause symptoms. Its link to personal care is narrower: a plant-based nose-care ointment, Nasulind, listed among its supplements and cosmetics, and a homeopathic preparation taken by mouth for eczema and other skin conditions. The company remains active, with news posted in 2026.

The company traces its beginnings to the years just after the Second World War. According to its own history, Hans Steierl sen. began manufacturing medicines in the Pasing district of Munich in July 1949 "under very modest conditions". In the early years he also produced dragees and tablets for other companies, and, as both the company and an independent supplier directory recount, made popcorn for American soldiers to keep the business afloat [8].

The first medicine under his own name was Steirocall. Steierl-Pharma says the founder developed it to ease his own congenital hip condition [2], and it is indicated for joint wear, spinal disc problems, loss of bone density and support after fractures. The company still describes Steirocall as one of its most important medicines.

Hans Steierl sen. died in 1963. His wife, Franziska Steierl, continued the business under the name "Apotheker Hans Steierl Nachfolger" (roughly, "successor to pharmacist Hans Steierl") [1].

In 1972 the company moved from Munich to Herrsching am Ammersee. The product range kept expanding, and by the early to mid-1980s the existing premises were, by the company's account, too small both for day-to-day operations and for regulatory requirements. Hans Steierl, the founder's son, took over the management and in 1989 opened a new site on Mühlfelder Straße that brought manufacturing, packaging, the laboratory, shipping, storage and administration under one roof.

In October 1990 the business took its current name, Steierl-Pharma GmbH [2]. From that point, the company says, it began to weigh ecological and social considerations in how it was run, alongside its aim of making high-quality medicines. It joined Responsible Care, a voluntary initiative of the chemical industry, and introduced environmental management under the EU Eco-Audit scheme, describing itself as one of the early adopters among pharmaceutical companies in Germany.

The company has also offered contract manufacturing for more than 15 years, according to its website. It produces liquid food supplements, homeopathic preparations and herbal medicines for other firms in batches of 100 to 1,000 litres, with a fully automated filling and packaging line rated at up to 3,000 units per hour.

Steierl-Pharma describes itself as "100% family-owned since 1949" [1]. No parent company or acquisition is documented. Day-to-day management is listed under two managing directors, pharmacist Eugen Eschenlohr and business economist Steffen Wegner.

The company's tagline is "Wirksame Naturarznei" ("effective natural medicine"), and its website opens with the line "Wir wirken natürlich" ("we work naturally"). Steierl-Pharma presents its work as a shared passion for naturopathy (Naturheilkunde) with naturopathic practitioners (Heilpraktiker), doctors, pharmacists and patients, a relationship it says has lasted more than 70 years.

Its stated focus is a selected range of mainly naturopathic medicines, most of them complex homeopathic preparations, for what it calls important areas of treatment. Elsewhere the same website speaks of more than 60 years of research into naturopathic therapies.

The company addresses two audiences. For healthcare professionals it runs training courses, a sample-set service, downloadable materials and a newsletter. For patients it publishes free guides on topics such as menopause, high blood pressure, staying healthy through autumn and winter, preserving mobility and middle-ear infections.

Distribution is tightly defined. Steierl-Pharma states that all of its homeopathic medicines are subject to pharmacy-only sale under German rules (apothekenpflichtig), and therefore cannot be shipped directly to consumers at lower prices [4]. In its patient FAQ the company also explains why many of its drops contain alcohol, calling it the best preservative for keeping natural active substances stable; it notes that ten drops of its Otimed ear remedy contain less alcohol than 250 ml of apple juice.

The range covers more than 30 medicines across the musculoskeletal, hormonal, cardiovascular, urinary, digestive and nervous systems, as well as respiratory complaints, pain, migraine and ear conditions. Formats include drops, injectable ampoules, tablets and ointments. Products named in the company's own catalogue and in an independent supplier listing include Steirocall, Gastroplex for digestive complaints, Grippinfekt for flu-like infections and Hepaplex for liver and gallbladder complaints [8].

### Skin and personal care

Two products touch most directly on skin and personal care.

Nasulind is a plant-based nose-care ointment in a 10 ml tube, marketed for noses strained by autumn and winter weather and by the pollen season. The company describes a base of wool wax alcohol ointment with moisturising purified honey, combined with peppermint (Mentha piperita) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) oils. It is listed under food supplements and cosmetics rather than medicines, and the company states it is available only in pharmacies [5].

Steiroderm is not a cream but a mixture of homeopathic liquid dilutions taken by mouth, sold in 50 ml bottles. It is indicated for skin conditions, especially eczema, and the product page also lists atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hives, cold sores and shingles [6]. Its active ingredients are graphite (Graphites D8), rectified petroleum (Petroleum rectificatum D6) and sulphur iodide (Sulfur jodatum D6); the "D" figures refer to the degree of homeopathic dilution. It is available without prescription but only through pharmacies, and is not intended for children under 12 or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

### Manufacturing and newer products

Production is based at the Herrsching site. In a short video feature on its website, the company shows the shaking step (Verschüttelung) used in homeopathic manufacturing, noting that it processes quantities of up to 1,000 kg at a time.

The most recent addition announced by the company is Steirofemin, a medicine for menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, sweating and sleep problems, which is still marked as new in its catalogue [7]. No third-party certifications, patents or clinical studies for the range are documented.

Steierl-Pharma is active. Its news page in 2026 announced reduced afternoon availability during the summer holidays from 3 August to 4 September 2026 [7], and the company was advertising a position in production and shipping open to career changers without a pharmaceutical background. The business remains based at Mühlfelder Straße 48 in Herrsching, communicates in German, and sells its medicines through pharmacies.