Wrinkle Relaxer Reloxin Could Get FDA Clearance This Year
In its latest issue, the publication Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery includes the results of a recent study on the wrinkle relaxing injectable, ‘Reloxin.’ During the study, Reloxin was evaluated on its long term safety for repeated use on moderate to severe forehead wrinkles or ‘glabeller lines.’
Reloxin would be the first real competitor for Botox in the U.S. cosmetic surgery market – a market which allowed Allergan Inc. to net $1.3 billion in revenue last year with Botox. Medicis Pharmaceutical is expecting FDA clearance for Reloxin sometime this year.
A Los Angeles dermatologist commented to Bloomberg news about the study, saying “the side effects are the same as Botox” and “many of our patients liked it even better.”
Reloxin and Botox are similar in their composition; both contain a particular ‘botulinum toxin’ that has been proven to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles in the face.
Reloxin has actually been sold outside the U.S. under the name ‘Dysport’ for about 15 years, but Botox has still managed to claim over 80 percent of the worldwide market for the neurotoxin. One market analyst speculates that “Reloxin may be priced 15 percent lower than Botox” which could allow it to claim a decent chunk of the market share.
