The invention relates to a wetting and dispersing agent that can be produced by carrying out step (1): wherein a) an organic polymer containing primary and/or secondary amino groups and b) at least one branched polyhydroxymonocarboxylic acid comprising, in addition to a carboxyl group, at least two hydroxy groups, one of which is not bound to the main chain of the molecule, are reacted by condensation reactions, forming amide linkages; and step (2): wherein at least some of the hydroxy groups of the hydroxy-functional reaction product obtained in step (1) are reacted with at least one organic monoisocyanate, forming urethane linkages.