Liposuction and Plastic Surgery Information - Botox alternative due to appear in US market

Botox alternative due to appear in US market

Tuesday, 06 February 2007

Patients seeking Botox treatment for facial wrinkles will soon have the option of choosing an alternative product that offers increased effectiveness at a lower price.

French company Ipsen has applied to the FDA for approval to market its anti wrinkle injectable product, Reloxin, in a move that will give therapists a choice of anti wrinkle products. It is expected that the French product will undercut Botox in price, leading to cheaper anti-wrinkle treatments for patients.

The opportunity of choosing an alterative to Botox will not be available just to American patients. Reloxin should shourtly be available in the UK, and the company has applied to French and German authorities for approval to start shpping the product.

Reloxin is said to work in exactly the same way as Botox, with small amounts of toxic botulinum being injected under the skin, paralyzing the muscles in the area, and removing the ability of the muscles to contract and cause wrinkles.

In addition to being cheaper than Botox, Reloxin claims that it lasts longer than Botox. Botox normally lasts for up to six months, and the promise of a longer effectiveness period means that patients will require fewer treatments to maintain results - further lowering the cost to patients.

Allergan, the owners of Botox, suffered a legal setback in November 2006, when a court ruled that it had lost its right to patent the product, opening up the doors to generic versions of the product becoming available.

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