The long-predicted competition for Botox, the blockbuster wrinkle remover from Irvine-based Allergan Inc., is looming.
The Wall Street Journal’s Web edition reported Wednesday that British regulators approved Azzalure, a drug derived from botulinum toxin, for treating wrinkles that form between eyebrows, late last week.
Ipsen SA, a French drug maker, makes Azzalure.
Azzalure’s been sold under the Dysport name for years as a muscle relaxer. Ipsen plans to start selling Azzalure for cosmetic use in Britain at the end of June, the newspaper reported.
In the U.S., Ipsen has granted Scottsdale-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. the rights to market Azzalure under the Reloxin name. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing Reloxin and is expected to make its decision on April 13, according to the Journal.
Ipsen Chief Executive Jean-Luc Belingard told the Journal that he was confident that Azzalure would take market share from Botox because “today, they are confronted with no competition and we have a very, very good product.”
Botox, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, had global sales of $1.3 billion in 2008.
Allergan has said that Botox’s safety record and long entrenchment with doctors will keep its leadership position in the market and is planning programs and events to reinforce that message.
