Orthomol is a

family business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by blood or marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business and the willingn ...

based in Langenfeld,

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It was founded by Kristian Glagau in 1991 and is now managed by his son Nils together with Michael Schmidt. Orthomol specialises in the production of

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

micronutrient combinations. The effect of such supplements is a controversial subject.

History

At the end of the 1980s, concept of using complex combinations of micronutrients, i.e.

vitamin A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrie ...

s and

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

s and other substances for the prevention and dietary treatment of illnesses had already established itself in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

In order to bring orthomolecular medicine to Germany and Europe, Kristian Glagau and Hans Dietl founded Orthomol in 1991. The company quickly grew to about 100 employees and became one of the leading providers in the micronutrient segment. Alongside its activities in the German market, the company expanded internationally, not only in Europe, but also in Russia and the United States, as well as the Middle East and Asia. In 2009, the founder and Managing Director of Orthomol, Kristian Glagau, passed away. The company remained in family hands and was managed by Glagau's two children together with Michael Schmidt, who had already worked as

Managing Director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

before Glagau's death. Although most aspects of the Orthomol

business strategy In the field of management, strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by an organization's managers on behalf of stakeholders, based on consideration of resources and an assessmen ...

remained unchanged, the product range was expanded.

Group structure

Orthomol's parent company is Orthomol Holding, a

limited liability company A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of ...

according to German law ( GmbH). It is currently managed by Nils Glagau (Sales and Marketing) and Michael Schmidt (Purchasing, Production, Logistics and Technology). The ownership structure of the group consists of two separate families, those of the founders Nils Glagau and Gesche Hugger.

Criticism

There are several doubts concerning the effectiveness of the products produced by Orthomol and other manufacturers, which is yet to be sufficiently identified in scientific terms based on evidence-based medicine criteria. The non-academic German press has also commented negatively on the products.

Notes and references

External links

Official website
of Orthomol {{Authority control Nutritional supplement companies Pharmaceutical companies of Germany