Botox competitor back on market

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - February 24, 2013 (WPVI) -- A competitor to Botox is back on the market, now that a legal fight over marketing practices is over.

And some local doctors are welcoming the return of Xeomin.

Like Botox, Xeomin relaxes muscles under the skin.

And like Botox, its primary use is expected to be cosmetic, for smoothing wrinkles and furrows.

But some people, like Susan Heintz, need it for medical reasons.

She had Bell's Palsy, which caused partial paralysis of the left side of the face.

"I had spasms in my left eye. I had spasms in my neck muscles. I was winking at strangers," Susan told Action News.

She was frustrated, "I didn't want to be crooked anymore. I was like a Picasso painting."

Dr. Allan Wulc of Plymouth Meeting has used Botox to loosened clenched muscles, and make Susan's face more symmetrical.

But with Xeomin available again, he decided to see how it worked for Susan.

He says some patients with eye or facial spasms develop a "resistance" to Botox.

"Some of them over time have seen a decrease in the effect of the botox. Either they need to come in more frequently, or they need a higher dose," Dr. Wulc says.

However, while using Xeomin during its testing phases, Dr. Wulc noticed he could use smaller doses again.

He thinks the smaller molecules in Xeomin will also make allergic reactions less likely.

"It's exciting to have another product that will work at least as well as Botox," Dr. Wulc said.

Doses of Botox, Xeomin, and another competitor, Dysport cost roughly the same.

However, some industry watchers think the added competition by Xeomin will drive overall prices down.

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