Why is Kybella so expensive?

Kybella was developed by Kythera and recently purchased by Allergan.  It was an expensive purchase and some of that has been passed on to the final cost.  A reason that Allergan paid dearly is because the clinical trials involved thousands of patients.  Many of the important questions (how much to be effective, how much to stay safe) were worked out pretty thoroughly in the expensive clinical trials.  Most patients need 3- 4 treatments, one month apart.  It is true that liposuction of the neck is less money than most Kybella series.  I offer both options, and let patients choose.  Some patients simply do not want to have a short (30 minute) outpatient procedure, and now they have a safe and effective choice.  

I have to agree that Kybella is expensive.  As a matter of fact, it just got MORE expensive for a treatment because Allergan has doubled the recommended dose.The short answer to your question is that Allergan has priced this product way too high.  I don't think the executives were thinking about the treatment properly when they bought the product from Kythera last year (actually, they bought the entire company for $2.1 Billion).  Now, they seem to want all the profit and plan to leave the doctors holding the bag with patients who are frustrated with the results.We continue to offer Kybella in my office, but I don't suggest it for everyone.  I'm trying to be very careful about who gets it.

The primary cost of the Kybella is related to the research and development that goes into developing the product, and the price that the manufacturer or distributor charges for the product. Sometimes there is very little injector markup on certain injectable products, including Kybella.Kybella works well, but requires more treatments and sometimes more total downtime than a single session of liposuction. In my practice, I perform both treatments, depending on patient preference, and both can be quite effective when performed well and with proper patient selection.Be sure to see an expert physician injector who specializes in facial aesthetic procedures.Best,

Hello,You have raised a very good point & question.  We agree that the cost of Kybella seems to be out of proportion to the benefits when liposuction continues to be a gold standard.  Although there may be a  more discrete approach with Kybella, there is significant neck swelling (ex:  bull frog) for upwards to a week with most patients requiring more than 1 treatment.  Therefore, the argument that Kybella provides for no social downtime is not correct.  In addition, there are many non-physicians that are providing Kybella treatments which begs the question why the procedure is so expensive as compared to liposuction that must be performed by a physician.  We believe that the negative side effects combined with the potential adverse side effects of Kybella are larger than the potential benefits.

Thank you for your question about Kybella.  It is true, Kybella is not cheap.  However, it is a very new product on the market and therefore the cost of Kybella to the practice is quite high.  There are several benefits to Kybella vs lipsuction.  Kybella is a nonsurgical intervention for submental fullness; whereas, liposuction is a surgical procedure and can be quite painful.  Liposuction also does not offer skin tightening like Kybella does.  Swelling can be moderate to severe with both procedures.  However, Kybella is much less painful when compared to liposuction.  To be sure you receive the best treatment, see two or more experienced, licensed and board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment.

I hope this helps.

Very good question! Kybella is the only recently approved by the FDA and is the only treatment on the market that produces the permanent results it does without having any direct competition in the market as of today. Sometimes the pricing with a new product that is extremely successful is inherently priced higher to account for money spent on research trials, FDA approval processes and bringing it to market. As new competing products come out, this may change in the future. The clinics themselves do not add inordinate fees to the product but pricing may be higher in certain parts of the country due to location. Kybella is an outstanding product that is popular because it permanently removes submental fat and creates beautiful long lasting results with no surgery. For a lot of people in today’s busy world they are looking for treatments that require less invasive processes so they can get back to everyday life and busy careers as soon as possible. For many, the cost is justified solely on the fact that they do not have to undergo surgery. The cost of Kybella depends largely on the amount of fat, number of treatments needed as well as the amount of product being used. Some people respond wonderfully to 2 - 3 treatments while others may need 4 - 6 treatments. Everyone is different and has a different amount of fat so this will inevitably vary from one individual to the next. In general, a single treatment tends to range anywhere from $700 - $1,500. Complete treatments can range from $1,500 - $5,000. Generally speaking, a good average number of treatment needed for most people is 3 - 3.5 treatments. I highly recommend meeting with an experienced physician for a consultation to determine what the actual pricing would be for you individually. By doing this, you will be able to see the cost difference between Kybella and Lipo to determine what the best treatment is for you. For more helpful information answering this question, please see my video below. I hope this was helpful. Best of luck to you!

I would have to agree with the statement that kybella is an expensive product. The cost of the product itself is very expensive and therefore unfortunately the physician does have to pass that cost onto the patient. As plastic surgeons we are all hopeful that the price will come down in the near future. The biggest benefit of kybella  is the fact that it is it nonsurgical.

Kybella is around $1000 per treatment.  If you only need 1 treatment it is less than neck liposuction.  If you need multiple treatments than Kybella can approach or surpass liposuction costs.  The reason for the expense is based on the price determined by the manufacturer (Allergan) and additional fee to inject.  Best Dr. Anil Shah

I agree with you.  For many patients, Kybella does not make sense economically.  The price is at least in part dictated by the manufacturer and as it is the only product of its kind on the market, they have the ability to set the price high.  Since the cost of the product is high, most doctors will pass that on to the patient.  The cost and cumulative down time (2-3 days after each injection) adds up when you factor in successive treatments.  As a facial plastic surgeon, I would prefer to perform submental liposuction over injections any day.    But for the right patient, there are benefits to Kybella - for someone with mild submental fat who wants to avoid surgery, one or two treatments with Kybella may be sufficient.  My hope is that the manufacturer will come down on the price with time, and you will see doctors offices charging less as well. 

The cost of a service depends on many things - the perceived benefit of the service, the cost of alternative options, the cost to keep the product in inventory, the cost of overhead, the cost of marketing, the cost of compensating the provider.Kybella may not be optimally priced, but it is an effective product and the results are permanent.  In order to help our patients with budgeting, we offer a "treatment-to-completion" package.  For one up-front price, we treat their submental fullness until they are satisfied.  We do a combination of Coolsculpting, subcu Profound, and Kybella.