Ferrosan

Ferrosan A/S, was a danish health care company founded in 1920 by Niels Jacob Herman Weitzmann. The initial idea was to produce and market a food supplement containing iron to counter iron deficiency (anemia) caused by the general shortage of meat in the aftermath of World War I. Ferro (or in latin Ferrum) is the chemical name Fe and atomic number 26 in the Periodic Table. san or the formal sama () is Japanese and stands for trust/respect. The original product later changed its name to Idozan. In the years that followed more products were launched including Sanocrysin (based on Sodium aurothiosulfate) for treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Spin-offs included products based on e.g. glucosamine for treatment of Osteoporosis and joint ailments, in the 1960-70s Ferrosan became the first company in Denmark to import birth-control pills. Ferrosan gradually expanded into OTC consumer health and vitamin supplements mainly in the Multi-tabs range, and probiotics in the Idoform and bififor...