Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery recently published a study featuring a medical performance and safety evaluation of Dysport, the new wrinkle-reducing, Botox alternative, marketed by Medicis Pharmaceutical. The study focuses on use of Dysport for treatment of moderate to severe glabeller lines (forehead wrinkles), and the results appear mostly optimistic.
The FDA has given clearance for the drug, and it should become available very soon. Dysport is being introduced by Medicis with the hope that it will be a direct competitor to Botox – a product that allowed Allergan Inc. to net $1.3 billion in revenue last year.
A dermatologist out of California who participated in the study commented to Bloomberg news, saying “the side effects are the same as Botox” and “many of our patients liked it even better.”
The active ingredients in Botox and Dysport are very similar; they each contain a particular ‘botulinum toxin’ that has been proven to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles in the face.
Few people may realize that Dysport has been sold overseas for years. Nonetheless, Botox has claimed over 80 percent of the worldwide market. One market analyst speculates that “[Dysport] may be priced 15 percent lower than Botox” which could allow it to take a significant share of that market.
