Will Dysport challenge Botox in the wrinkle marketplace?
Medicis recently announced the long-awaited FDA approval of Dysport, the first and only competitor to Botox. You can see a related story in The New York Times.
Doctors on RealSelf.com have been looking forward to the launch of Reloxin, grateful that there will be a choice in products and some competition in the marketplace, but disagree on whether or not the new product will affect the price of Botox.
Baltimore facial plastic surgeon Theda Kontis, MD recalls that "when Juvederm came out, we were wondering how it would affect Restylane prices. They came out priced the same--so competition didn't change a thing."
Kenneth Steinsapir, MD, a Los Angeles oculoplastic surgeon, thinks we need to "recognize that Allergan's BOTOX is the market leader and Reloxin [Dysport] will be the johnny-come-lately."
In a lengthy announcement, Medicis details the approval for the drug for two distinct purposes: cervical dystonia and moderate to severe glabellar lines, or forehead wrinkles. Cervical dystonia is a rare condition in which the neck muscles involuntary contract, causing abnormal movement and awkward position of the head and neck.
Medicis CEO Jonah Shacknai said "we are excited to be entering the market for the most popular nonsurgical aesthetic procedure in the U.S., and anticipate being highly competitive." But Medicis doesn't have the strongest track record for marketing, as seen with Restylane and Perlane, which could leave Allergan with a slight advantage.
When will Dysport be available in the US? Medicis' own press release states that they anticipate the launch of Dysport in the U.S. during the second of half of 2009.
Of more than 230 reviews on RealSelf.com for Botox injectibles, nearly three in four (74%) of consumers say they thought Botox was worth it. We anticipate a large number of reviews once Dysport is widely available, but if anyone has tried Dysport during trials or overseas, we’d love to get your early take.
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2 posts
26 May 2009
It is great to have a competition but man must know that Botox and Dysport are two different botulinum toxins type-A with a difference in diffusion and in the way to use it. I am a facial plastic surgeon in Cannes(France). I use BTX since 1996. I had the chance and the opportunity to use both Botox and Dysport. I prefer Botox because it is far more precise and safer around the eyes because of its lowest diffusion. So I can safely inject closed to the orbital rim when I need a specific action on a specific muscle. With Dysport it is more a larger impact in a wider area; it is interesting when we are not looking for a specific facial muscle, because of its wider diffusion around the injection point.