Botox could receive $1bn injection as migraine drug
September 10, 2009
By Elizabeth Lopatto
New York - Allergan's Botox, sold as a wrinkle-smoothing beauty aid since 1991, may be rejuvenated as a drug that prevents migraine headaches and is worth a potential $1 billion (R7.5bn) in added sales yearly.
Of the $1.3bn in revenue Botox earned last year, $50 million came from its unapproved use as a migraine treatment, said analyst Larry Biegelsen.
Study results reported at a medical conference this week will determine whether Botox is effective for that use. If so, it might boost sales by 75 percent, said analyst Peter Bye.
Allergan has already submitted the findings to a journal and expected to supply data to US regulators by the end of the month. The results may lead insurers to pay for the treatment before it is approved in the US.
The drug, a purified form of the poison botulinum, is given as an injection. It smooths wrinkles in the face by paralysing muscles underneath. Scientists do not know how Botox helps to prevent migraines.
If the findings presented at the International Headache Congress were positive, the US Food and Drug Administration might approve it quickly as the drug answered an unmet need, Biegelsen said. - Bloomberg
|
|
