Dysport Enters The US Aesthetic Market

New Botox Rival Unveiled: Dysport, the newest contender with hopes to temporarily paralyze your facial muscles, appears to differ from Botox in some important ways. The process, through which Dysport is manufactured, creates a solution with a smaller protein complex. This is a distinct advantage when treating the condition hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) as the area(s) that require treatment are much larger and the smaller protein appears to allow the solution to diffuse beyond the injection site. But, some physicians see this as an undesirable aspect in the treatment of facial lines, where control and placement are highly desirable.

Another consideration is the duration of the effect these two solutions are able to sustain. In a double blind study published by the American Academy of Dermatology in 2006, the performance of both Botox and Dysport was evaluated in the glabellar (between the eyes) area. Both solutions performed acceptably from week 1 through 16; however, by week-16, 53% of the Botox group maintained the desired improvement in glabellar lines while only 28% of the Dysport group maintained improvement. So, for aesthetic applications it appears that, at least for now, Botox is holding its own in the battle of the botulinum toxin treatments.