Last summer, the FDA granted approval for the botulinum toxin drug XEOMIN to treat abnormal neck pain (cervical dystonia) and spasms of the eye. XEOMIN is botulinum toxin type a, the same active ingredient used in Botox® Cosmetic.
When it receives approval for cosmetic use, it could create enough competition in the market to drive down prices on all botulinum toxin injections.
Current treatment prices for Botox® range from $9 to $15 per unit, with most patients requiring about 20 units per treatment area. These prices could drop when XEOMIN receives cosmetic approval from the FDA. Although XEOMIN isn’t believed to be superior, doctors say it could create more options, more competition and thus, lower prices.
“Current off-label use hasn’t shown any particular clinical advantage for Xeomin over Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan) or Dysport, but the new toxin will broaden clinicians’ aesthetic options and may spur price competition in the U.S. “
With another contender in this already competitive market, consumers may see more rebates and more price breaks from the pharmaceutical companies.
XEOMIN is the 3rd botulinum toxin to receive FDA approval in the U.S. The fourth could be PurTox, a drug by Mentor (popular breast implant manufacturer) that is still being studied.
You can read all the facts on the new website XEOMIN.com, including “How XEOMIN works.”
“XEOMIN is injected into muscles to decrease their activity. XEOMIN blocks the release of a chemical messenger—acetylcholine—that conveys the signal from nerve terminals and causes muscle fibers to contract. Not all terminals are affected by botulinum toxin, so the muscles can still contract, just less forcefully. This allows the muscles to contract more normally.”
