
Botox Formulations Differ in Onset, Duration for Frown Lines
METHODOLOGY:
In a single-center, double-blind randomized clinical trial, 143 women aged 30-65 years were randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to OBoNT/A, ABoNT/A, PBoNT/A, or IBoNT/A at standard doses.
Their mean age was 43.5 years; most participants (83.9%) were White, 4.9% were Black, and 4.2% were Asian.
Participants were followed up at days 3, 30, 90, and 180.
The primary outcome was glabellar strain, measured using dynamic three-dimensional photogrammetry. The secondary outcome was patient satisfaction, assessed with FACE-Q surveys.
TAKEAWAY:
Compared with OBoNT/A (48.0%) and IBoNT/A (40.3%), ABoNT/A (67.4%) and PBoNT/A (61.7%) showed a significantly faster onset, with strain reduction observed at day 3 ( P < .05 for all comparisons). PBoNT/A maintained a significantly higher strain reduction (20.5%) than OBoNT/A (0.5%; P = .03) at day 180.
< .05 for all comparisons). PBoNT/A maintained a significantly higher strain reduction (20.5%) than OBoNT/A (0.5%; = .03) at day 180. Maximum treatment efficacy most frequently occurred at day 30, with an overall median efficacy of 88% in the total cohort and no significant difference between the treatments at day 30. Maximum efficacy was 89.3% in the OBoNT/A, 93% in the PBoNT/A, and 89.5% in the IBoNT/A groups.
Increasing baseline glabellar strain severity resulted in proportionally greater improvement with treatment across all formulations.
FACE-Q scores improved significantly from baseline across all groups by day 30, with most improvements lasting through 6 months and no significant differences between treatment groups. No adverse events were reported.
IN PRACTICE:
'This randomized clinical trial demonstrated precise quantitative differences between 4 BoNT/A formulations in treating glabellar strain,' the study authors wrote, adding that the quantification of the effect of BoNT/A 'provides an objective foundation to guide individualized product selection and patient education.'
SOURCE:
The study was led by Mehdi S. Lemdani, BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and was published online on May 28 in JAMA Dermatology .
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations included reduced participant retention at the final visit and inclusion of only female participants. Differential dosing and treatment of adjoining regions were not examined.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was funded by Evolus. Lemdani and three other authors reported receiving grants from Evolus during this study. One author also received personal fees from AbbVie and Galderma.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Connecticut wants to make generic GLP-1s. Will RFK Jr. lend a hand?
Connecticut passed a new law last week in an effort to lower its spending on weight-loss drugs for its state insurance program — HUSKY Health, which includes Medicaid and CHIP enrollees — and it could help other states do the same if it succeeds. The bill, signed by Gov. Ned Lamont on July 8, focuses on efforts to control drug prices but has a section dedicated to generic GLP-1 drugs, similar to Novo Nordisk's (NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY) Mounjaro and Zepbound. Combined, the four drugs have been ballooning the state's spending — contributing costs of $140 million in fiscal year 2024 — a problem plaguing many states. Some states have chosen to restrict or limit who can be prescribed the drugs, while others have stopped covering them altogether. Connecticut expanded coverage in 2023. The new law calls for the Commissioner of Social Services to petition the US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to exercise the federal government's right to own the patents of GLP-1s and contract with generic manufacturers to produce a version of the drugs in exchange for royalties that Connecticut says it will pay. "The commissioner may enter into a consortium with officials in other states in contracting with such manufacturer for such drugs," according to the state's new law. State Sen. Matt Lesser, who introduced the bill, told Yahoo Finance that other states, both red and blue, have already expressed interest. He said the state has 30 days to submit the petition. "The governor and Sec. Kennedy have known each other for a very long time. So I don't know what conversations they may or may not have had. But, I think we're also having some early conversations," Lesser said of the state's social services commission. HHS did not reply to a request for comment from Yahoo Finance. The power to claim ownership of the patent comes from a section in the US Patent Code, 28 US 1498, which is described by experts as similar to eminent domain. If RFK Jr. accepts Connecticut's request, the drugmakers would be compensated based on a benchmark closer to production costs, not to market rates, according to Robin Feldman, a professor of law and director of the Center for Innovation at the University of California, San Francisco. "So recent cases are royalties of 10% or 7.5%," Feldman told Yahoo Finance. Lamont, meanwhile, signaled caution when signing the bill last week. "While well-intentioned, this provision may present an overreach of Section 1498, which was intended to provide a remedy for patent holders for when the federal government uses patented inventions for its own purposes," he said. "The administration will work collaboratively with the industry, healthcare professionals, and advocates to ensure that provision is implemented as appropriate under federal law." The strategy faces some uncertainty, but it could be coming at just the right time, according to some experts. Connecticut's effort comes as prices have begun to ease in the wake of increased supply from drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Both are offering vials at cheaper prices than injectables in direct-to-consumer avenues to counter the massive compounding market. Former Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen previously told Yahoo Finance that the compounding market is "approximately as big as our own business." Compounders were initially allowed to provide the copycats without FDA approval when the drugs were in short supply. The FDA has since ended the shortages, but some compounders continue to produce the cheaper copycats, claiming they have protections for "personalized medicine." That debate is making its way through the court system and is currently in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lesser said Connecticut considered compounding but wasn't comfortable with the lack of FDA approval for the products. In addition to lower prices, Novo Nordisk's drugs are facing the end of their exclusivity period, which is regulated by the FDA. This is separate from the patents protected by the US Patent Office. While the patents expire in 2031, the FDA exclusivity has already partially expired for semaglutide in recent years On top of all that, generic competition is already on the horizon in Canada, which means a manufacturer is currently setting up production and getting approval from a comparable regulatory body to the FDA, according to Rachel Sachs, a professor of innovation policy and patent law at Washington University in St. Louis. That could also be useful if states decide to import from Canada — and would be quicker than the FDA process to contract with a US-based facility. "So this is a sort of sweet spot for those products, where it would be a particularly impactful time for the (patent) law to be used," Sachs said. The law Connecticut wants HHS to invoke has been used in the past. In 2017, Louisiana invoked the same law to try to get Hepatitis C drugs at a lower cost. At the time, more than 35,000 Medicaid enrollees using the drugs were costing the state $764 million. The drugmaker, Gilead Sciences (GILD), ultimately struck a deal with Louisiana to implement an "innovative payment model," which capped the state's costs. And post-9/11, when there was an anthrax scare, the US government invoked the law to stockpile Bayer's (BAYRY) drug Cipro. Bayer ultimately agreed to lower its price. Recently, North Carolina tried a different strategy by leveraging its relationships with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which had manufacturing operations in the state last year. It was unsuccessful and had to cut coverage for state employees while keeping coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. The state petitioned HHS and then-Secretary Xavier Becerra to negotiate lower prices on its behalf but stopped short of invoking the patent law, though some advocacy groups suggested it at the time. It's why experts and advocates are closely watching how RFK Jr. responds to this petition. But so far, the Trump administration has made no progress in its efforts to curb costs, according to Amy Kapczynski, a professor at Yale Law School and expert on intellectual property rights. "The Trump Administration has been weak in addressing drug pricing as a problem, undermining some of the gains of the recent Biden bill to lower drug prices for Medicare," she told Yahoo Finance. "They may not want to do this, and argue that they can't — but really, I see it as a question of political will." UCSF's Feldman echoed a similar sentiment, adding that the situation could end well for the drugmakers too. "There should be a deal to be made that provides very handsome returns for the companies who have brought (these drugs) to society, but in a way that's sustainable and doesn't break the bank," she said. — Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest health industry news and events impacting stock prices Sign in to access your portfolio


New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Kennedy Claims Doctors Profit Off Vaccines. In Fact, Many Lose Money on Them.
Dr. Stacey Bartell wanted to offer vaccines to her patients. But at her small family medicine practice in a Detroit suburb, she could not find a way to make the finances work. Stocking enough vaccines for her patients would cost thousands of dollars upfront, with no guarantee the sum would be recouped. She employed just one nurse practitioner, and would have to hire additional staff to manage the inventory and stay on top of insurance billing. And the special refrigerators required to store vaccines would cost another $1,000. She knew how much vaccines mattered to her patients' health. But it was money her practice, which was already operating on thin margins, couldn't afford to spend. 'We just haven't been able to shore it up here,' Dr. Bartell said. Instead she has to send her patients to pharmacies and the county health department for their shots — a concession that 'hurts my heart,' she said. So a few weeks ago, when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, claimed in an interview with Tucker Carlson that vaccine profits created 'perverse incentives' for pediatricians to push immunizations, Dr. Bartell was confused. Doctors widely consider vaccines to be a money pit. Research shows that most pediatricians either break even or lose money on shots. One 2017 study found that nearly a quarter of family medicine providers and 12 percent of pediatricians stopped purchasing vaccines because of prohibitive costs. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wave Life Sciences Unveils Promising Preclinical Data for Obesity Treatment WVE-007 at ADA Scientific Sessions
Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) is one of the best low priced pharma stocks to buy now. From June 20 to 23, Wave Life Sciences presented preclinical data for WVE-007, which is its investigational GalNAc-siRNA targeting INHBE mRNA, at the American Diabetes Association's 85th Annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago. The oral presentation was delivered on June 21 and highlighted WVE-007 as a potential novel and distinct obesity treatment designed to induce healthy weight loss by reducing fat while preserving muscle mass. WVE-007 functions by silencing INHBE mRNA, which in turn reduces the production of Activin E protein. Activin E is a lipolysis suppressor that is upregulated in obesity. By inhibiting Activin E, WVE-007 promotes lipolysis, or fat breakdown. A biotechnology laboratory filled with computers and equipment to support research. Human genetics provides strong support for INHBE as a therapeutic target. Individuals with a protective loss-of-function variant in one copy of the INHBE gene exhibit a healthier cardiometabolic profile, which includes less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes/T2D and cardiovascular disease/CAD. These individuals also show favorable associations with liver traits, such as reductions in cT1 (reflecting liver inflammation and fibrosis) and ALT (reflecting liver damage), without impacting liver fat. Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that designs, develops, and commercializes ribonucleic acid/RNA medicines through PRISM, which is a discovery and drug development platform. While we acknowledge the potential of WVE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data