The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of an Allergan Inc. glaucoma drug as a cosmetic treatment to grow and thicken eyelashes, the Irvine drug maker said Friday.
The FDA approval comes after an advisory board said in early December that the drug is safe and effective enough to be sold for cosmetic use.
The drug is based on bimatoprost, the active ingredient in Allergan’s Lumigan glaucoma drug, which relieves pressure in the eye.
Allergan plans to market the prescription drug as Latisse for cosmetic uses.
The drug is applied once a day for about four months to increase thickness and fullness of eyelashes, according to Allergan.
Allergan plans to start selling Latisse in the first quarter.
The company estimates that sales of Latisse could top $500 million a year. Allergan has yearly sales of about $4.4 billion.
It has high hopes for the drug, along the lines of its wrinkle remover Botox.
Botox first was approved for muscle spasms and later for treating wrinkles after plastic surgeons started using it cosmetically.
