Breastlight maker sold to pharmacist

PWB Health, the Scottish company behind an innovative self-testing kit for breast lumps, has been sold to a West Yorkshire pharmacist for a six-figure cash sum.

Zulfikar Akram, who also owns nutritional supplement company Ultralife Healthcare, will retain five employees to operate PWB from its Dumbarton headquarters.

PWB is behind the Breastlight, a handheld torch which emits light through the breast tissue, enabling women to check their breasts.

The device attracted public and private sector investment during its development stage. However, the company struggled to meet demand and ran out of cash. It fell into liquidation last month and accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael was brought in to find a buyer.

Matt Henderson, insolvency and corporate recovery partner at Johnston Carmichael, said it was a highly competitive bidding process.

"Perhaps most encouraging is that the technology behind Breastlight has been refined to offer a much improved profit forecast, and with the right approach there is no reason why this business should not grow and develop into a global success story," he said.

Keeley Row, new head of marketing for PWB Health, said: "It is imperative that the Breastlight remains in the UK as we hope to increase exports and create job opportunities. We are in talks with manufacturers, suppliers and staff in order to restart production as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Advisers working on the deal included law firm Harper Macleod and intellectual property specialists Metis Partners.

Since launching in 2006, 20,000 Breastlights have been sold to retail and medical outlets.