April 30, 2009

Dysport, a Botox Competitor, Approved

THURSDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new wrinkle remover, like Botox derived from botulinum toxin, has been approved in the United States, the Bloomberg news service reported Thursday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sanctioned Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) for both cosmetic and therapeutic use, Bloomberg said, citing a news release from product makers Ipsen SA and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp.

Despite recent FDA warnings that botulinum-based products could spread beyond the injection site and lead to botulism poisoning, nearly 2.5 million Americans had Botox injections in 2008 for cosmetic reasons, Bloomberg said.

For medical use, Dysport was approved to treat a neck-twisting disorder called cervical dystonia, the news service said.

Arizona-based Medicis licenses Dysport from Ipsen, the French company that developed the drug. The companies said they planned to make Dysport available in the United States within 60 days.

Dysport's label will include a boxed warning of the possibility that the botulinum toxins may spread, Bloomberg reported.

More information

The FDA has information about its ongoing safety review of botulinum toxin products.

-- Scott Roberts

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