According to a [removed]review[/removed] that was recently published in the Truth in Aging blog, the new Botox competitor, Reloxin, is poised to take down the established botulinum toxin Type A champ, Botox. This is an easy claim to make, seeing as how every aesthetic-industry pundit this side of the Atlantic has been, for years, sighing that Botox really needs a competitor. However, Truth in Aging at least makes the case without resorting to too much hype or hyberbole.
Though it is superficially identical to Botox, Reloxin is different in that it is suspended in lactose, whereas Botox is suspended in sodium chloride. Also, Botox is provided in 100-unit vials, as opposed to Reloxin’s 500-unit vials, making the preparation less expensive for doctors- a bonus likely to be passed on to consumers. Doctors typically pay over $500 per vial of Botox, enough to treat only five different facial areas, or 1-2 patients. With the entry of Reloxin in the arena of injectable treatments for wrinkles, a marketing battle and pricing war are expected to ensue.
Officially termed “botulinum toxin type A” (since it is made from the same bacteria that causes botulism food poisoning), Reloxin was originally submitted to the FDA for approval in March of 2007, with the expectation that it would be reviewed within 10 months and ready for commercialization in North America shortly thereafter. Though the FDA confirmed that the facilities of Reloxin’s manufacturer, Ipsen, are in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, the drug remains in limbo for the U.S. market. It is currently approved for aesthetic use in 23 countries (Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Saldavor, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Slovak Republic, South Korea, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam).
With the FDA’s seal of approval, Reloxin will prove that it is comparable to the cosmetic gold standard that Botox has become over the past seven years.
Well, the reviewer cannot avoid the hype, after all.
Besides longevity and price, Reloxin has shown to differ from Botox in effect, spreading farther from the injection site. In areas such as the forehead, this characteristic might be considered favorable, since it would reduce the quantity of injections required and subsequently minimize the potential for bruising. However, in areas where more precision is desired, Reloxin may not be the best solution. Ultimately, each drug might one day be used either in concert or as distinct treatments for targeted facial zones.
[removed]Read it all[/removed].
