The ability to achieve fewer wrinkles with a botulinum toxin, like Botox or Dysport, without the need for needles may be a step closer to reality. The makers of an investigational topical cream called RT001, Revance Therapeutics, is about to enter phase III trials with hopes to eventually gain approval for use in the U.S.
A neurotoxin that you can apply to the skin rather than inject is “a wonderful addition to the market,” says West Palm Beach, FL, dermatologist Kenneth R. Beer, MD. “I think that it will create a whole new category of people who are willing to try a cream instead of an injection.”
Revance has created a proprietary synthetic peptide that allows the topical botulinum toxin to penetrate the skin at different depths. The development and clinical trials have been underway for several years and the company says the technology can be used in other medical applications such as insulin, growth factors and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cosmetox, made by Transdermal Corp., is another topical botulinum toxin that’s in the works and is being studied to determine the best doses for the cream, according to the company’s website.
“My sense is that these new patients will love the topicals,” Dr. Beer says. “The data for the Revance product is impressive, and I think that there will be a lot of people who get introduced to botulinum toxins with this new welcome mat.”
Since more studies are on the way, it could be several years before the product makes it to market, depending on the approval process.
Related:
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