BOTOX® Injections
NOTE: The information displayed on this page was taken directly from
Botox.com...the official website for this procedure.
History of Botulinum Toxin Type A
Clostridium botulinum produces 7 distinct toxins, types A through G. Botulinum toxin type A is the
most studied of the 7 serotypes produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Minute quantities
of botulinum toxin type A offer significant potential in treating a wide variety of disorders associated
with muscle overactivity.
Work with botulinum toxin type A as a therapeutic agent to treat human disease began in the late 1960s through
the collaboration of Alan B. Scott, MD, of the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Foundation and Edward J. Schantz,
PhD, director of food microbiology and toxicology at the University of Wisconsin. This is when botulinum toxin
type A was first considered not as an agent of human sickness and disease but as a powerful therapeutic agent
to treat symptoms of neurological disorders.
In 1989, the rights to a form of botulinum toxin type A, currently commercialized under the trade name
BOTOX®, were acquired by Allergan, Inc. In December of that same year, BOTOX® was approved for use in strabismus
and blepharospasm associated with dystonia in patients 12 years of age and above. Through the collaboration of
Drs. Scott and Schantz, and the pioneering efforts of Allergan, BOTOX® was added to the armamentarium of drugs
used to treat these conditions.
Clinical Development
BOTOX® is currently in various stages of clinical development for a number of neuromuscular treatments.
If successful, these treatments could offer new tools with potential to improve various patient conditions.
Allergan's BOTOX® (Botulinum Toxin Type A) Purified Neurotoxin Complex is used in the treatment of certain
neuromuscular disorders characterized by involuntary muscle contractions or spasms. Allergan markets BOTOX®
in the United States and in 61 other countries. The approved indications for BOTOX® in the United States are
for the treatment of blepharospasm (the uncontrollable contraction of the eyelid muscles that can force the
eye closed and result in functional blindness) and strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) in people 12 years
of age and over. For approved uses outside of the United States.
Manufacture and Storage
BOTOX® is supplied sterile in glass vials, each containing 100 units. BOTOX® must be diluted
with sterile, nonpreserved saline immediately prior to its injection.
Summary
The clinical use of BOTOX® represents one of the most dramatic role reversals in modern medicine:
a biologic toxin transformed into a therapeutic agent.
For more information about this procedure, please see the official
Botox.com website.
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