Merz Aesthetics gets FDA approval for upper facial line injectables backed by Demi Lovato

24 Jul 2024 --- Merz Aesthetics gains FDA approval for Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) as the “first and only neurotoxin” approved for the treatment of forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet.

“Neurotoxins, such as Xeomin, are prescription medications that block the release of chemicals that cause these muscle contractions so frown lines are softened,” says the company.

The approval expands Xeomin’s application, which was limited to frown lines, to include other upper facial lines.

Dr. Samantha Kerr, chief scientific officer at Merz Aesthetics says the new indication for Xeomin is promising:

“It proves we are moving the needle within the toxin space and meeting the needs of our consumers as it comes to efficacy and results while containing only the essential ingredients needed for treatment.”

Xeomin is powered by proprietary Xtract Technology, said to remove unnecessary ingredients, leaving only essential components for treatment. 

“Unlike other toxin treatments, we filter out all of the unnecessary ingredients in Xeomin using proprietary Xtract Technology, so we’re left with only the ingredients essential for treatment, which 90% of surveyed patients say they absolutely want in a neurotoxin treatment,” says Patrick Urban, president of North America at Merz Aesthetics. 

The recommended dose for Xeomin is 20 units for glabellar frown lines, 20 units for horizontal forehead lines, and 24 units for crow’s feet, totaling 64 units. 

Xeomin showed a noticeably higher response rate than placebo at Day 30 in clinical trials with 730 adult participants, which supported this approval. Over the course of several treatment cycles spanning 14 months, the studies documented elevated patient satisfaction and prolonged efficacy. 

“We’re so excited to hit this significant milestone for Merz Aesthetics as we continue to expand our ‘Beauty on Your Terms’ campaign and footprint within the aesthetics industry,” adds Urban.

The campaign targets a younger audience new to injectables and features brand partner and singer Demi Lovato. “In my opinion and experience, Xeomin is the smart choice for the treatment of my upper facial lines. The SmartTox formula is double filtered with only the ingredients essential for treatment to give me natural-looking results treatment after treatment.”

Two years ago, singer Joe Jonas also partnered with Merz Aesthetics for Xeomin’s  campaign.