Last week, the Food & Drug Administration granted clearance to Medicis Pharmaceutical for their new wrinkle reducer, Dysport. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists may have the drug available for cosmetic use in just 30 – 60 days.

Dysport will compete with Botox, as both drugs perform the same basic function – neuromuscular blocking to relax and prevent wrinkles. Dysport however, is said to be more diluted than Botox and thus more cost effective for providers. The recent FDA approval of dysport also came with a unique warning label describing the risks associated with the botulinum toxin.

Rather than rebranding the drug ‘Reloxin’ as planned, Medicis decided to retain its original European name, Dysport

The April 30th announcement coincided with a 3 percent drop in Allergan’s (maker of Botox) shares, and a 14 percent increase of Medicis’ shares. Analysts and industry professionals expect Dysport to carry a slightly lower price tag than Botox, and say it could capture as much as 30 percent of the current market.

For more information on wrinkle treatments in Chicago and Munster, Indiana see our homepage.

Botox injection can work to smooth out facial wrinkles; that’s been firmly established. But that isn’t the extent of its current useage.  If you do a little research, you’ll discover that physicians use Botox for many other interesting purposes.

As reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers from Allergan Inc. conducted surveys about sweating, revealing that almost 3 percent of the U.S. population (7.8 million people) believe their sweating to be excessive. At the time of the survey (in 2004), less than half of the respondents had sought medical help for the problem. Botox blocks the localized release of a specific chemical that stimulates sweating, and so the FDA approved it for this use years ago.

Many doctors use Botox to treat headaches, and their basic procedures are hardly different than those of wrinkle treatment. It isn’t entirely clear how the Botulinum toxin provides relief; it may work to inhibit certain pain-transmitting nerves. But evidently, many people suffer from fewer headaches after being treated with Botox.

Last March, the New York Times published a story on the off-label use of Botox to help those who have suffered a stroke and have trouble relaxing certain muscles. According to the experts, “only about 5 percent of the stroke patients who could benefit from its use ever get it.”

Patients with even more obscure conditions have found success using Botox. In Feb 2008, USA Today reported that radio personality Diane Rehm (of National Public Radio) had received routine off-label treatments of Botox for a vocal disorder called spasmodic dysphonia.

Besides these therapeutic uses, surgeons and dermatologists are finding even more cosmetic uses for Botox. Dr. Lawrence Reed recently told an ABC news affiliate that “we’re at the tip of the iceberg where Botox is going to be used.” Reed has apparently been pioneering some interesting new cosmetic applications.

For acne, Dr. Reed injects Botox just below the skin: “It decreases the muscle pump and blocks the production of oils, so we use it for acne,” he claims. Other patients of Dr. Reed found success using Botox to relax certain muscles and actually make their eyes appear larger, and to supplement laser skin resurfacing.

A few words of caution: If you’re considering Botox for any off-label use, make sure you choose a qualified physician. Despite the optimism surrounding Botox as a ‘wonder drug’, there have been complications and side effects associated with off-label use and inexperienced providers

Celebrities like Mandy Moore, Brooke Shields and Marisa Tomei attended a Hollywood charity event last March to help launch the Latisse Wishes campaign, a campaign to support the Make-A-Wish foundation and generate interest in the new eyelash enhancement drug. The Make-A-Wish foundation is known for granting the wishes of suffering children.

Latisse, Allergan’s new eyelash enhancer and latest offering, is the first drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of hypotrichosis, a condition characterized by inadequate eyelashes. The Latisse Wishes campaign was launched by Allergan with a $500,000 initial contribution to Make-A-Wish.

Hollywood beauty expert and participant, Anastasia Soare, enthusiastically expressed her support, saying “I constantly work to help make women’s beauty wishes come true, and now we can help children’s wishes come true through the LATISSE™ Wishes campaign.”

It’s not a mere coincidence that Make-A-Wish was chosen as a beneficiary for Allergan’s campaign; the superstitious tradition of blowing on an eyelash to make a wish come true, provides a clever marketing strategy, backed by philanthropy.

The campaign is encouraging consumers to help double the donation amount by visiting www.Latisse.com and registering their support. From now until the end of the year, Allergan will donate 5 dollars for each new registration, up to one million dollars.

Latisse is now available in Chicago and Munster, Indiana; contact us for more information.

The hot new eyelash enhancement drug Latisse is now available in Frankfort and Munster!

Last month, the FDA gave Botox/Juvederm manufacturer Allergan its stamp of approval for Latisse.  Now, the hot new drug is becoming available through certain providers.

What is Latisse? If you haven’t heard yet, it is a special eyelash treatment that is applied to the base of the lashes.  Latisse keeps hairs in their growth phase, producing darker, fuller and longer eyelashes. The aesthetic results of Latisse are desirable, but not permanent; patients must keep using it in order to maintain its effects.

Like many new drugs in recent years, the effects of Latisse were discovered inadvertently. During clinical trials for a glaucoma eye drop called Lumigan, researchers noticed an unintended side effect; patients exhibited longer, fuller lashes.  To make it brief: further research was conducted, the active ingredient (bimatoprost) was reduced, and now many patients can have the long, desirable eyelashes they’ve always wanted.

For more details about special introductory pricing, contact us at 815-806-9400.

Mentor, the largest breast implant manufacturer in the world, will be acquired by Johnson and Johnson.

According to Marketwatch, the medical giant J&J announced the deal on December 1st at a reported 1.12 billion dollar total value.

Dr. David Dreyfuss of Plastic Surgery Experts was recently interviewed about the possible consequences of this deal.

What shortcomings at Mentor do you believe J&J can or should address?

Dr. Dreyfuss: Certainly the marketing strategies of the Mentor/Inform group will get the most needed updating.  This is an area that started to take off significantly about 2-3 years ago and promptly fell into disarray.  J&J should provide the necessary technology upgrades to the system and solidify their workforce to allow the product to regain

How do you think the acquisition will affect breast augmentation patient product choices?

Dr. Dreyfuss: The J&J acquisition of Mentor should speed up the process for cohesive gel products being available to the US market.  Not unlike the Allergan acquisition of Inamed, it changed the FDA focus away from a breast implant company to a pharmaceutical company.  This provides an “inside track” for approval of new products.  This should allow Mentor to compete on a level playing field with Allergan/Natrelle.

What companies will feel new competitive pressure from this acquisition, and how?

Dr. Dreyfuss: Clearly the most impact will be upon Allergan from this acquisition.  It will put significant pressure on Allergan’s sales staff from a new influx of cash and marketing strength from J&J.  The other facial implant and liposuction equipment manufacturers will feel excessive pressure.  This has been an area somewhat neglected by Mentor, which will change in the future.