Botox finally has some competition.
Azzalure, developed by French drugmaker Ipsen SA, has been approved for sale in Britain. It will reach other EU countries later this year, and eventually will be available in the U.S.
The drug has been sold for years under a different name, Dysport, as a muscle relaxer for medical conditions involving spasms.
With global sales of $1.3 billion last year, Botox has a near monopoly on the market for cosmetic muscle relaxers. Both Botox and Azzalure are made from toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox is made by Allergan Inc.
In a phone interview, Ipsen Chief Executive Jean-Luc Belingard said he was confident Azzalure would take "a significant share" of the market from Botox, "because today they are confronted with no competition and we have a very, very good product." He declined to comment on pricing or marketing strategy. The product won't be ready for sale in the U.K. until the end of June.
Ipsen says Azzalure has been recommended for approval by health authorities in 15 European countries and is now awaiting final marketing approval in those countries. Ipsen has hired Galderma, a joint venture between L'Oreal SA and Nestle SA, to market Azzalure in Europe.
When the drug is approved in the U.S., it will be called Reloxin and will be mrketed by Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Reloxin is currently under review by the FDA, with an expected ruling by April 13th. The drug is expected to be approved by the FDA. When it does reach the U.S. market, the costs of getting a Botox shot will most likely go down because of new competition in the market.
