Botulinum toxin has a recently-approved alternative that beat anti-wrinkle treatment Botox in a recent trial comparing the two compounds' ability to erase crow's feet.
"One month after treatment, on a two-to-one preference basis, patients picked Dysport over the Botox in terms of wrinkle improvement," study co-author Dr. Corey S. Maas, an associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a plastic surgeon with The Maas Clinic, based in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, told HealthDay News.
"So, we can say that when it comes to addressing the smile lines around the eyes, the crow's feet, at one month the Dysport is more effective than Botox," Maas continued. "And that's a big deal, because Botox is such a recognized household name now. And it's such a great drug. But when you have something that comes in that's as good in some areas, let alone even better, it's big news for all of us, both doctors and patients."
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first version of botulinum toxin type A in 2002. Manufactured by Allergan, Inc., this version is known as Botox.
An alternative version of the same toxin was approved in Europe in 1001 for general cosmetic applications. The drug, known as Dysport, is manufactured by Medicis Aesthetics and was approved for use in the United States in 2009.
