A team of researchers from the Moy-Fincher Medical Group in Los Angeles conducted a study in which they treated 1,2000 patients with injections of Reloxin (Clostridium botulinum toxin type A-hemagglutinin complex) in five sites in the forehead. Patients were asked to record the effects of the treatment in diaries, and they were interviewed a week to 10 days after treatment. In addition, patients were reexamined two weeks and 30 days later, and then each month after treatment. Patients reported that the drug started working within a day after treatment. After a week, up to 95 percent said they had responded to the medication.

The study found that Reloxin, an alternative to the commonly used Botox for reducing forehead wrinkles and frown lines, has been shown to last more than 13 months. Although it is approved for use in 23 countries outside of the United States, it is still awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Researchers of the study, which was lead by Dr. Ronald Moy, believe that Reloxin could some day become a "serious competitor" to Botox. "Reloxin is as safe and it works as well as Botox," says Dr. Moy. "Many of our patients are happier and got a more natural look with the use of Reloxin. I think this will be as popular as Botox, which is the most common cosmetic procedure in the United States," he adds.

There are several key differences between Botox and Reloxin. Reloxin has less protein in its formula, says, Dr. Kamran Jafri, from Jafri Craniofacial Plastic Surgery, New York City. "Theoretically, because Reloxin has less of a protein load the body will break it down at a slower rate. That means from a clinical perspective that it should last longer than Botox," he notes. "However, some of the early trials are showing that Botox actually lasts longer than Reloxin."

Reloxin also defuses more into the tissue than Botox, Dr. Jafri notes. "Botox typically defuses in about a one centimeter radius, Reloxin can go anywhere from one to three centimeters," he says. "That's a good thing for the forehead, where you can give fewer injections, but it's a bad thing for, say, crow's feet, where unless you are an experienced injector and you know the muscles very well, it could spread to other muscles and cause a droopy eyebrow or droopy eyelid," he explains. And in fact, some plastic surgeons have noted a heightened incidence of drooping of the eyelid and/or brow with Reloxin vs. Botox. "With this study, I don't see a clear advantage over Botox," said Dr. Jeffrey C. Salomon, an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.

News Release: Botox alternative may safely smooth forehead lines http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/16/botox-alternative-may-safely-smooth-forehead-lines.html    March 16, 2009