Porton International

Porton International was a prominent British biotechnology company founded in 1982 by Wensley Haydon-Baillie to commercialize technology from the UK government's Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research (CAMR). The company gained international recognition for developing Dysport, a botulinum toxin type A product used to treat various neuromuscular disorders. It also focused on blood products, notably Factor VIII for hemophilia, and various vaccine candidates. At its height, Porton International was one of the largest private biotech firms in the world, holding a unique portfolio of government-originated intellectual property. The company's assets were eventually broken up in the early 1990s, with its core pharmaceutical business, Speywood Laboratories, being acquired by the Ipsen Group. Today, the legacy of Porton International continues through the global success of Dysport under Ipsen's ownership.