Allergan releases its “lip pumping drug” to the US market

Allergan has announced that the latest addition to the Juvederm collection of fillers, Juvederm Volbella XC, is now available to physicians and patients for use in the lips for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral rhytids, commonly referred to as “lipstick lines”, in adults over the age of 21.

Allergan explained that in clinical trials, Juvederm Volbella XC was found to effectively increase lip fullness and soften the appearance of lines around the mouth in a majority of subjects through one year. Juvederm Volbella XC is the only filler proven to last through one year in both the lips and perioral rhytids with optimal treatment, said Allergan.

“Our physician customers have told us perioral lines are difficult to treat and are also a top concern among patients,” said David Moatazedi, Senior Vice President US Medical Aesthetics.  “We developed a soft, smooth gel appropriate for adding subtle volume to the lips and softening the appearance of perioral lines to address this specific need.  We are committed to providing our doctors with products to address the evolving needs of their aesthetically-oriented patients.”, he added.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), use of soft tissue fillers in 2015 was the fastest growing cosmetic minimally-invasive procedure. Juvederm Volbella XC is approved specifically for the lips and perioral rhytids. Juvederm Volbella XC is formulated with VYCROSS, a proprietary filler technology from Allergan, which yields smooth products that have been engineered to address specific patient concerns. The most common side effects observed in clinical trials were temporary responses at the treatment site such as swelling, tenderness, bruising, firmness lumps/bumps, redness, pain, discoloration, itching and dryness. Most of these side effects resolved within 30 days, said Allergan.