The Story of Our Founder, Thouria Louhmadi

"I am a daughter of the Atlas." Indeed, it was in Marrakech—far from her adopted home in Belgium’s Condroz region—that this determined and visionary woman was born. A brilliant student, she quickly rose to the top of her class in high school. Her academic achievements earned her a scholarship to pursue higher education in Europe.

"I was torn between France and Belgium. I ultimately chose Liège because I found the people there incredibly warm and welcoming. The mindset and culture of the city felt very close to my own roots."

Hired as a medical and pharmaceutical representative by Janssen Pharmaceutica, Thouria Louhmadi was quickly promoted to Sales Manager, and later to Export Manager for the Maghreb and the Middle East. She took on multiple roles in the pharmaceutical sector while also carrying out research at the University of Liège. “I did it out of pure passion, on my own initiative.”

One day, she came across a bacterium with remarkable potential. “At the time, I had no idea how to turn this discovery into a business project. But I decided to take the leap and go for it—on my own.”

The scientific findings of Thouria Louhmadi focused on bacteria—those living microorganisms now widely recognized for their beneficial impact on health.

The Creation of Phacobel

Venturing into the pharmaceutical sector is a bold move—one that few dare to make. Yet Thouria Louhmadi decided to take on the challenge by founding Phacobel. She made the leap after discovering a bacterium with remarkable potential. It was a risky bet, but ultimately a winning one. Phacobel went on to become the first Belgian company to pioneer the field of live microorganisms, establishing itself as a true trailblazer in the sector.

Construction of the Production Plant in Tinlot

To meet growing demand, Phacobel took the next big step: building its own production facility in the Tinlot economic park, in the Liège region.

The goal was clear — to have full control over every stage of the complex process of handling live good bacteria, from formulation and production to capsule filling and packaging, all in compliance with HACCP standards.

Founding of "Astel Medica" in Luxembourg

Astel Medica was established in Luxembourg with the aim of expanding its activities across Europe and internationally. It became the first OTC-focused company to be physically based in Luxembourg—proudly carrying the “Made in Luxembourg” label.

Expansion of the Production Plant in Tinlot

Over the years, Phacobel continued to grow. In less than 10 years, the company became the Belgian leader in dietary supplements based on live bacteria, launching a series of successful products. To keep up with demand, expanding our production capacity in the Tinlot economic park (Liège region) became essential. A new 7,000 m² facility was built on site to support this growth.

Phacobel Becomes Astel Medica

The company continued to grow and evolve. The next major milestone: launching our products internationally. To strengthen brand recognition and connect with a broader global audience, Phacobel changed its name to Astel Medica. The name “Astel” is formed from the initials of the Louhmadi family members — a tribute to our roots as a family-owned company with international ambitions.
Astel Medica reflects both our heritage and our vision for the future.

Start of Production Site Construction in Luxembourg

In 2017, Astel Medica set its sights on continued growth, with the ambition of becoming the first pharmaceutical company to produce medicines on Luxembourgish soil. To make this vision a reality, Astel Medica acquired land in Wiltz, laying the foundation for its future production site.

Start of Construction in Wiltz

The year 2023 marked the beginning of construction on a new GMP-compliant production site in Wiltz. With this facility, Astel Medica will be able to manufacture both medicines and dietary supplements in accordance with the strictest European standards.

Astel Medica is set to become the first and only company to produce both medicines and supplements on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This new chapter will soon allow us to set out and conquer international markets.

Launch of Probiotical

Phacobel Launches Its First Product: Probiotical ! When Phacobel introduced Probiotical, its very first product, bacterial-based health solutions were still virtually unknown in the early 2000s. It would take several years before these products became part of our daily health habits.

Probiotical was the first bacteria-based product to be marketed in Belgium, positioning Phacobel as a true pioneer.
This innovation marked the beginning of a success story, establishing the company as a specialist in the development of bacteria-based health products.

Launch of Artechol

In 2010, the company received authorization to launch the first red yeast rice powder-based product on the European market. This product, Artechol, contains red yeast rice standardized in Monacolin K—an ingredient that had been banned prior to 2010.

Phacobel played a key role in defending this ingredient at the European level.
Europe won the battle — and another innovation was born.
Artechol became one of the first of its kind to be marketed in Belgium, once again placing Phacobel at the forefront of innovation.

The First Clinical Study on Bacteria Was Conducted with Probiotical

Back in 2011, bacteria-based products were still very new and not widely recognized in the health sector.
When scientists and university professors began questioning the potential effects of bacteria on health, they reached out to several companies marketing bacteria-based products to conduct a clinical study on a finished product.

Phacobel was the first—and only—company to immediately accept the challenge, fully aware that the results could be either positive or negative.

That bold decision paid off: the study delivered outstanding results, and we are proud to have been the first company to take that risk.

The First Study on the Effects of Monacolin K with Artechol

One year after the launch of Artechol, we became the first company to authorize a clinical study on the finished product, conducted by independent scientific researchers.

The results confirmed the positive effects of Artechol, further validating our commitment to innovation backed by science.

The Launch of Infectim – Our First Medical Device

As a specialist in good bacteria, Astel Medica took on the challenge of developing a medical device based on probiotics.

Infectim was the first product on the market formulated with probiotics to address vaginal infections, offering a natural and effective solution to the many women affected by them.

Infectim Becomes Infectim®+

Due to new legal regulations prohibiting live bacteria from being classified as medical devices, Infectim had to be reinvented.

We responded with innovation, launching Infectim+, the first and only medical device based on postbiotics available on the market today.