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The US FDA has approved an injectable wrinkle treatment called Radiesse that its maker boasts lasts longer than rival treatments in temporarily correcting smile lines.
Naturally, those claims are hotly contested by the market leader, Restylane; in particular the claim by Radiesse's makers. BioForm Medical, that it lasts twice as long as competing products.
BioForm says Radiesse lasts a year or more, twice as long as Restylane and Juvederm, a third rival that will be arriving in cosmetic physicians' offices in January. Juvederm will be sold by Allergan, the makers of Botox.
"Right now, (dermal) fillers are too expensive. Many people are thinking about these treatments, but aren't doing them. We will displace a lot of this market, but will grow it too," proclaims Steven Basta, BioForm chief executive officer. Basta estimates that a typical patient will pay roughly $850 a year for Radiesse, versus $2,400 for comparable enhancement with Restylane. His estimate, based on average retail prices and including the physician's fees, assumes it takes two $600 syringes of Restylane, twice a year, to achieve what one syringe of Radiesse can do for 12 months.
Restylane's makers,Medicis disputes that analysis, largely because it says Restylane lasts "probably well over a year with the second and third injection." The duration of a product's wrinkle-smoothing effect largely determines annual treatment costs. Costs also vary based on each patient's own face and physicians' professional fees.
Fillers have become increasingly popular as an alternative to a face-lift, and analysts believe consumer demand for them would explode if the prices dropped. Fillers typically are used to plump up folds and creases in the lower face.
Radiesse is available from select clinics in the UK, and has been used in the US since 2002.
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