The latest issue of Dermatology Times reports on the changing U.S. injectables market, given the news that most collagen fillers will be gone from the market at year’s end.
In January 2010, Allergan announced it would be discontinuing its collagen line of fillers— CosmoPlast, CosmoDerm and bovine products Zyderm and Zyplast—at the end of the year. The company halted production of the products last year, but manufactured sufficient inventory to meet estimated market demand through the end of 2010, according to Kelly Lao, manager of corporate communications.
In late 2009 Johnson & Johnson had announced that it was discontinuing its collagen filler Evolence.
“For my generation of dermatologists, collagen was the gold standard of fillers—this is what we were taught to use,” says Seth L. Matarasso, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco. “But the market is changing. Welcome to the brave new world of fillers.”
“The discontinuation of the sale of our collagen products … is in response to declined market interest … since the introduction of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm have become more popular,” Ms. Lao says.
“There is an overwhelming popularity of the new kid on the block: the hyaluronic acids. They have been embraced universally, and suddenly collagens aren’t as popular,” says Dr. Matarasso.
The popularity of hyaluronic acid products, which includes Restylane, Perlane, Juvéderm, Radiesse and Sculptra, is due to factors that include:
- Longer-lasting results
- Appear to give a better fill
- Some contain lidocaine for less painful injections
Upcoming improvements of hyaluronic acids, according to Dermatology Times, will provide more volume and contour-changing ability and the ability to fill deeper lines.
Read the full story, “Dermatologists prepare for departure of collagen from U.S. market,” online at Modern Medicine. (Before and after photos of Radiesse patient, courtesy of radiesse.com)
Remember when the FDA first approved Collagen in 1982? There was hope of looking more youthful, fear of potential allergic reactions, painful injections, and lots of swelling. Sometimes it took as long as a week before you finally looked normal.