Who Owns Folic Acid?
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is a generic prescription and over-the-counter supplement with no single brand owner. It is a synthetic form of folate used to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy, treat folate-deficiency anemia, and reduce methotrexate side effects. It is manufactured by dozens of companies including Teva, Sandoz, Pfizer, and major supplement brands, and is also added to fortified foods by government mandate in more than 80 countries.
Parent Company
Founded
1945
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
Multiple manufacturers (generic drug)
Folic Acid Timeline
budgetmass marketGlobalall-ages
Who Owns Folic Acid?
- Parent Company: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
- Ownership Type: Product line
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: TEVA
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Folic Acid | Teva Pharmaceutical Industries | Product line |
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History of Folic Acid
- Founded: 1945
- Founders: Lederle Laboratories (first synthesis, 1945)
Folate was identified in the 1930s when Lucy Wills demonstrated that a factor in yeast and liver cured a form of anemia in pregnant women. The compound was isolated from spinach in 1941 (the name derives from "folium," Latin for leaf), and Lederle Laboratories scientists first synthesized folic acid in 1945, initially under the name "folacin."
The molecule's clinical importance grew through the mid-20th century as its role in preventing megaloblastic anemia was established. The landmark finding came in the 1980s-1990s: controlled trials proved that periconceptional folic acid supplementation dramatically reduced neural tube defects like spina bifida. This led to one of the largest public health interventions in modern history: in 1998, the United States mandated folic acid fortification of enriched grain products, followed by Canada, Australia, and eventually more than 80 countries.
In cancer medicine, folic acid serves a supporting role: it is used to reduce the toxicity of antifolate chemotherapy drugs like methotrexate and pemetrexed (Alimta), for which folic acid and B12 supplementation is required. This creates an interesting dynamic: folic acid is both a treatment and an agent whose metabolism related antifolate drugs exploit.
Today folic acid is among the world's cheapest and most consumed pharmaceuticals: prenatal guidelines recommend it for all women of childbearing age, and global production runs into the hundreds of metric tons annually.
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About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Is Teva Pharmaceutical Industries owned by another company?
No, Teva is an independent publicly traded company with no parent organization. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TEVA and is owned by institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders. No single entity holds a controlling stake.
Is Teva publicly traded?
Yes, Teva is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TEVA. The company is also listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Teva first listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 1951 and on the NASDAQ in 1987 before moving to the NYSE.
What is Teva's annual revenue?
Teva reported FY2025 revenue of $16.5 billion, up 5% from $15.8 billion in FY2024. Non-GAAP net income was $2.3 billion with non-GAAP EPS of $2.10. The company guided for FY2026 revenue between $16.8 billion and $17.2 billion. Generic medicines accounted for approximately 70% of total revenue.
Who founded Teva?
Teva was founded in 1901 in Jerusalem by Yitzhak Elstein, Salomon Kahan, and Moshe Levinson as a wholesale drug business. The name Teva means "nature" in Hebrew. The company began manufacturing its own pharmaceutical products in the 1930s and 1940s.
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What is Teva's market position?
Teva is the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world by revenue, with operations in approximately 60 countries and a portfolio of approximately 3,500 generic products. Its main competitors include Sandoz, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, and Viatris. Teva also markets specialty medicines including Ajovy for migraine.
How much debt does Teva have?
Teva's total debt at the end of FY2025 was approximately $15 billion, down from approximately $36 billion in 2017. The debt reduction has been achieved through asset sales, cost cuts, and operational restructuring. The debt burden originated primarily from the $40.5 billion acquisition of Actavis Generics in 2016.
What is Teva's best-selling drug?
Teva's largest specialty drug is Ajovy (fremanezumab), a preventive treatment for migraine that generated approximately $600 million in FY2025. Copaxone, once Teva's top-selling drug with peak sales of $4.2 billion, has declined to approximately $700 million due to generic competition. Teva's generic drug portfolio collectively generates the majority of revenue.
- Founded: 1901
- Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: TEVA
- Revenue: $16.5 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: Approximately 36,000
Where Is Folic Acid Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Multiple manufacturers (generic drug)
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Europe, India, China
Folic Acid Categories & Tags
Folic Acid Recalls & Controversies
Folic acid has one of the best safety records of any widely used substance, but debates persist. Some researchers have raised questions about unmetabolized folic acid accumulating in blood from fortification and supplements, and about the methylfolate-versus-folic-acid choice for people with MTHFR gene variants. In oncology, the use of folic acid versus leucovorin as methotrexate rescue is a clinical distinction with real consequences: folic acid is not interchangeable with leucovorin in high-dose methotrexate rescue. Periodic FDA recalls of specific manufacturers' folic acid products have occurred for potency or contamination issues typical of generic manufacturing.
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Brands Owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Folic Acid Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Generic status makes folic acid among the cheapest and most accessible essential medicines in the world
- +No patent or licensing barriers mean robust multi-source supply and continuous availability
- +Fortification mandates guarantee population-level public health impact
- +Decades of safety data and universal clinical guidelines support its use
Considerations
- -Commodity economics mean thin margins and occasional supply fragility (folate shortages have occurred)
- -No branded investment in innovation or clinical development
- -Confusion with leucovorin (folinic acid) can create clinical substitution errors
- -Quality varies across the fragmented manufacturer base, as with all generics
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Frequently Asked Questions About Folic Acid
Sources & Further Reading
- FDA Folate Fact Sheet
- CDC Folic Acid Recommendations
- Leucovorin Brand Profile — WhoBrands
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Competitors to Folic Acid
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Folic Acidoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
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Independent Alternatives to Folic Acid
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsBenadryl
Owned by Kenvue
American brand of antihistamine medication used to treat allergies, itching, and cold symptoms, manufactured and marketed by Johnson & Johnson.
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Benadryl is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsStayfree
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Feminine hygiene brand of menstrual pads owned by Kenvue globally and Energizer Holdings in North America. Kenvue is being acquired by Kimberly-Clark in a deal closed on November 2, 2026.
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Stayfree is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsBand-Aid
Owned by Kenvue
American adhesive bandage brand invented in 1921, owned by Kenvue Inc. Band-Aid is the leading adhesive bandage brand in the United States and is sold in more than 100 countries.
wound-careadhesive-bandagefirst-aid
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Band-Aid is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsBoots
Owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance
Boots is the UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, founded in 1849, now operating as The Boots Group under Sycamore Partners since August 2025.
pharmacyhealth-beautyuk-retail
Privately Owned
Boots is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsDuane Reade
Owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance
Duane Reade is a New York City drugstore chain owned by Walgreen Co. under Sycamore Partners, operating approximately 90 stores across the five boroughs.
pharmacydrugstorenew-york
Privately Owned
Duane Reade is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Healthcare PharmaceuticalsKonsyl
Owned by Konsyl Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Psyllium fiber supplement brand produced by Konsyl Pharmaceuticals, a privately held Maryland company marketing the same psyllium active ingredient as Metamucil since 1934.
fiber-supplementdigestive-healthpsyllium
Privately Owned
Konsyl is privately owned, unlike Folic Acid which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Stock Information
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