Hartig Drug Company has expanded its product lineup by adding Nefense nasal care products at select locations in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, offering customers new drug-free options for daily nasal hygiene. The new assortment brings together two companies with roots in Dubuque, Iowa, underscoring a shared commitment to local health and wellness.
Hartig Drug, founded in Dubuque in 1904, has served generations of families across the Tri-State Area. Nefense, developed in Dubuque by Richard Downs, DDS, is backed by over forty years of clinical expertise in oral health, breathing, and airway function. This partnership highlights a local product line now available on Hartig shelves, reaching communities they serve together.
“We are excited to offer Nefense nasal solutions at Hartig drug stores,” said Charlie Hartig, CEO of Hartig Drug Company. “There is real meaning in this too: a Dubuque developed product line now on Hartig shelves, reaching the communities we serve together.”
The Nefense products available at participating Hartig Drug stores include Hyponasal, an HOCl nasal spray for routine nasal cleansing; Hyponasal Junior, formulated for children; Hypobaby, an ultra-gentle option for infants; and Xyloclean, a xylitol spray designed to moisturize nasal passages. These non-medicated, steroid-free formulas aim to rinse away everyday dust, pollen, and airborne particles.
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a natural component of human biology, produced by white blood cells as part of the body's innate immune response. The molecule has been studied in several areas of medicine, with published randomized clinical research evaluating low-concentration hypochlorous acid nasal irrigation in people with chronic sinonasal symptoms and allergic rhinitis. Those studies evaluated HOCl nasal irrigation generally and were not studies of Nefense-branded products.
“I believe hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is still in its infancy in terms of its role in medicine, as more applications continue to be discovered,” said F. Hunter Fuerste, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist in Dubuque. “It is a gentle, nontoxic, naturally occurring molecule produced by white blood cells that has both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Today, HOCl is being used in areas including skincare, wound care, eyelid hygiene for blepharitis, and oral rinses.”
For Hartig Drug, adding Nefense fits a long-standing focus on bringing health, wellness, and everyday consumer products to the communities it serves, including products developed by local and regional businesses. Nefense focuses on daily nasal hygiene, offering an alternative to medicated decongestants. The assortment gives customers nasal care options across different ages and needs, including an HOCl nasal spray for adults, age-specific nasal sprays for children and infants, and a xylitol nasal spray for moisturizing nasal care.
The addition also brings a locally developed health and wellness product from Dubuque into a pharmacy company that has called Dubuque home for more than 120 years. Nefense products are available now at participating Hartig Drug locations. Customers can visit hartigdrug.com/stores to find a nearby Hartig Drug store and contact the location directly to confirm product availability.
