The Organic Pharmacy has returned to the ownership of founder Margo Marrone, eight years after the British skincare and wellness company was sold to Italian pharmaceutical group Istituto Ganassini.
Marrone has reacquired a controlling interest in the London-based business and returned to its board, with plans to develop its skincare operations and explore opportunities in professional wellness, including spas and clinics.
Companies House records confirm that Marrone became a person with significant control on 8 October 2026, holding at least 75% of the company’s shares. Istituto Ganassini ceased to hold that status on the same date.
Marrone was also appointed as a director on 8 October, while two existing directors left the board. The company subsequently identified 16 October as the date of her return as founder and owner.
Financial terms of the reacquisition have not been disclosed. The transaction restores control to the entrepreneur who established the brand more than two decades ago.
Marrone founded The Organic Pharmacy in 2002, opening its first store on London’s King’s Road. Her professional background as a pharmacist informed the company’s initial approach to skincare, combining specialist product knowledge with personalised customer advice.
The business expanded from that original retail location into a wider portfolio of skincare and wellness products, distributed through specialist beauty retailers, department stores, and pharmacies.
Its growth attracted the interest of Istituto Ganassini, which acquired the business in 2018. The Italian pharmaceutical group brought additional commercial resources and an established international operation to support the brand’s development.
At the time of the sale, Marrone identified the need for greater resources to expand a business that had developed through self-funding. The acquisition placed The Organic Pharmacy within a larger pharmaceutical and dermocosmetics group.
The latest ownership change reverses that arrangement, although the companies will maintain a commercial relationship. The Ganassini family is expected to continue distributing The Organic Pharmacy’s products in Italy.
That agreement preserves a connection with an established European market while transferring control of the British business back to its founder.
Marrone intends to return greater attention to the company’s original combination of skincare and personal wellbeing. Its proposed development includes nutrition, supplements, natural remedies, and services associated with professional wellness.
Spas and clinics are expected to feature in those plans, extending commercial opportunities beyond the sale of products through conventional retail channels. Such relationships can involve professional treatment providers using selected products alongside consultations and other services.
These plans remain at a strategic stage. The company has not disclosed a capital investment programme, identified new facilities for opening, or published financial forecasts associated with the ownership change.
The Organic Pharmacy already maintains relationships with major British retailers. Earlier this year, it introduced products at Marks & Spencer’s Oxford Street store before extending distribution to 43 additional locations. Its products are also stocked by Selfridges and pharmacies.
Those arrangements provide an established domestic retail base as Marrone resumes control. They also place the business across channels with differing commercial requirements, from department store distribution to specialist advice and professional services.
The change of ownership returns strategic leadership to Marrone while retaining the Italian distribution relationship established during the previous ownership period. Its next phase will involve developing the brand’s skincare and wellness activities under the founder’s direction.
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