With its most recent FDA-approval, BOTOX continues on its walk to the wonder drug hall of fame.
Since BOTOX Cosmetic was first approved for the treatment of facial lines and wrinkles, by the FDA, in 2002, manufacturer Allergan now has approximately 90 patents or patents pending for the potential and very diverse uses of this drug. Wonder drug, indeed.
In 2010, BOTOX received FDA-approval for the treatment of severe Migraine Headaches in patients suffering 15 or more days, a month, from this debilitating disorder. BOTOX has changed the quality of life for millions of migraine sufferers around the world. Most recently, in January, 2013, BOTOX was again FDA-approved in the treatment of another common medical ailment, an overactive bladder.
Typically, bladder control problems occur when your muscles are either too weak or too active. If the muscles are too weak, the symptoms may include untimely ”accidents” from sudden coughing, sneezing or other stress signals placed upon the bladder. When the muscles are too active, the symptoms are leakage or sudden, strong impulses to use the bathroom whether your bladder is really full or not.
These specific bladder issues are more prevalent among women and seem to increase with age or significant weight gain. However, they can occur at any time, to either gender. While incontinence is not a dangerous or serious medical condition, it can be embarrassing and might interfere with some daily activities. Extended travel, social or sporting events might also be curtailed and the emotional distress be considerable.
Here, as with other muscle-related disorders, BOTOX has offered substantial relief. In clinical studies, over a period of 12-weeks of treatment, BOTOX injections have resulted in up to 50% fewer incidents a day! That is a significant number and translates into even greater success in patient appreciation.
Originally developed for correcting the condition of “crossed-eyes,” it was discovered, quite by accident, that BOTOX also relaxed the lines and wrinkles around the area of treatment. As a result, BOTOX has become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures around the world. It has also become one of the most carefully studied and researched drugs in modern times.
To date, the results of this scrutiny have been very exciting. Among the ailments that BOTOX has been successful in treating and hopeful of receiving future FDA-approval, are excessive sweating, swallowing and chewing difficulties, muscle spasms, benign enlarged prostate and relief from various stroke-related difficulties.
Allergan suggests that, ultimately, the therapeutical uses for BOTOX may far surpass it’s cosmetic success. But there just might be 75,000,000 Baby Boomers staring at some frown lines, in the mirror, thinking, “Well, we’ll just see about that!”
