Good news for double chin sufferers. Fat deposits under the chin can now be removed non surgically. A new drug promises to get rid of double chins without surgery, and it’s nearing federal approval. The drug, an injectable substance that dissolves fat under the chin, was unanimously recommended for approval this week by a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee, but it’s still awaiting final approval from the agency. It’s a version of deoxycholic acid, “a naturally occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown of dietary fat,” according to its manufacturer, KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, based in Westlake Village, California. They’re calling it ATX-101 right now.
Surgical removal of a fatty double chin was traditionally done with liposuction or direct surgical excision. But only a minority of the patients were good surgical candidates. Injection techniques with ATX 101 will make treatment of a fatty double chin available to many more patients. This is a particularly good option for men, young patients with a localized deposit, and people who cannot take time to recover from a surgical procedure. This is not a good option for loose neck skin due to aging or massive weight loss. We plan to make this treatment available as soon as the FDA rules. How much does it cost? Nobody knows this, but if history repeats itself with similar new drugs we guess the completed treatment to be priced between $4-6,000. How effective is it? To pass the FDA panel it must be at least 20% better than placebo, we’ll only know the true effectiveness after 3-5 years of use in clinical practice. KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals believes that this treatment is as effective as Botox which was at least 60% more effective than placebo. They believe the drug will be available in the second half of 2015!
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