Posts Tagged ‘Latisse’

Ingredients in Latisse to Be Studied as Potential Baldness Treatment

Monday, November 8th, 2010

The active ingredients in Latisse eyelash solution might be effective for treating baldness (alopecia). The manufacturer, Allergan Inc, is reportedly starting clinical trials of a new formulation of bimatoprost to investigate the safety of this potential application.

Details of the Clinical Trial

According to clinicaltrials.gov, the study will evaluate “the safety and pharmacokinetics of a new formulation of bimatoprost following topical application in patients with alopecia.”  Two different formulations of bimatoprost will actually be tested.

Men and women age 18 to 64 with moderate male/female-pattern baldness are eligible for inclusion in the study. The trial was scheduled to begin in October and be completed in February 2011.

What is Latisse?

Latisse is 0.03% bimatoprost solution, a medication that can help patients grow more prominent eyelashes. After several weeks of applying Latisse to the base of the upper eyelids, a person can grow lashes that are longer, thicker and darker. According to the Orange County Register, some physicians have offered the drug off-label for baldness treatment and seen “modest” results.

To learn more about purchasing Latisse in Cincinatti, contact the office of Dr. Mandell-Brown.

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Allergan Sues to Block Generic Version of Latisse

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Allergan has reportedly filed a patent-infringment lawsuit against a Canadian drug company that is attempting to manufacture and market a generic version of Latisse.

The relevant patents for Latisse expire “as late as mid-2024,” reports the Wall Street Journal. But Apotex Inc seeks to challenge those patents, allegedly claiming that two Latisse patents are neither valid nor enforceable.  The company went so far as to file an application with the FDA to create and market a generic version of Latisse.

This conflict represents only the latest attempt to compete with Allergan in the market for eyelash enhancing drugs.  In 2007, several companies were accused of using the same ingredients (topical prostaglandins) in their eyelash enhancement products.

Jan Marini Skin research, one company then accused of violating the patent, said it had reviewed the patents pertaining to Latisse ingredients and determined that no violation had occurred.  Another company, Cayman Chemical Co., reportedly said that all patents on the actual Latisse compound had expired and that Allergan’s patent pertains to the method of using it. (via LA Times)

Right now, Latisse is the only product available that actually stimulates eyelash growth.  Applying it daily to the base of the upper eyelids can result in longer, darker, fuller eyelashes.  Allergan is also known for marketing the popular injectables Botox and Juvederm hyaluronic acid gel.

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Latisse Wishes Challenge Donates to Make-A-Wish Foundation

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

On June 15th, Allergan Inc announced a brand new Latisse promotion planned to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  In the Latisse Wishes Challenge, they’re asking people to donate $20 or more to the Make-A-Wish foundation in exchange for a Latisse free trial certificate.  However, only the first 10,000 people who donate will receive a certificate.

You may remember last year’s campaign led by Brooke Shields.  This year, the campaign is led by lifestyle designer Kathy Ireland, professional ballroom dancer Chelsie Hightower and style guide Bobbie Thomas.

“With approximately 1.5 million bottles sold since launching the product a little more than a year ago, LATISSE is giving back by helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant the wishes of children. Through the campaign, we will double each individual’s donation, with a maximum donation of $250,000, through October 31,” said Robert Grant, President of Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc.

Read more about purchasing Latisse in Cincinnati

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How Allergan's Eyelash Drug Latisse Came To Be

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Many drugs make their way to the market inadvertently, becoming hugely popular for uses that were never intended. Such is the case with the new eyelash enhancer, Latisse; it  was born out of a group of popular medications called topical prostaglandins, drugs frequently used to decrease intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma patients.

What was first labeled a ‘complication’ or side effect of using prostaglandins was “hypertrichosis,” a condition characterized by darkening, thickening, and lengthening of the eyelashes.   

 Allergan offered the topical prostaglandin Lumigan in 2001, a drug that contained the active ingredient bimatoprost. Two important precursors to Latisse occurred after the FDA gave clearance for Lumigan.

Jan Marini Skin Research Inc had over $2 million worth of product seized by the Food and Drug Administration.  The product, Age Intervention Eyelash, evidently contained bimatoprost, which was unapproved for cosmetic use at the time. Allergan later filed a patent infringement suit against Jan Marini and several other companies that had tried to market bimatoprost in their eyelash enhancing drugs.

Some doctors started prescribing Lumigan off-label to enhance eyelashes.  Knowing the desirable side effects it could produce. But Lumigan wasn’t formulated for cosmetic use and many believed more research was needed to confirm the safety of topical prostaglandins for cosmetic use.  

Clinical trials and further research is exactly what Alllergan Inc did.  In one early study, 278 healthy adults with minimal to moderate eyelash prominence applied bimatoprost or a placebo to their lash line.  The results were favorable; researchers observed that the average patient’s eyelashes were 25 percent longer, 106 percent fuller, and 18 percent darker, while only 3.6 percent experienced itchy eyes and redness, and only 2.9 percent experienced skin hyperpigmentation.  

Latisse received FDA approval late last year for the treatment of ‘inadequate’ eyelashes.  Allergan now owns the patent on use of bimatoprost for eyelash enhancement.

Contact Dr. Mandell-Brown for more information on Latisse in Ohio and Kentucky.

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Allergan Announces Latisse Wishes Campaign

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Allergan Inc – the maker of Botox and now, Latisse – sponsored a celebrity charity event last March; Brooke Shields, Mandy Moore, Marisa Tomei, and other Hollywood stars were showed support the new ‘Latisse Wishes’ campaign.

The cause will raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation and generate interest in Allergan’s new eyelash enhancement drug. A $500,000 initial contribution to Make-A-Wish was announced at the event.

Latisse is the first drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of inadequate eyelashes. When applied to the base of the upper eyelids, it stimulates the growth of thicker, darker lashes.

Beauty expert and participant, Anastasia Soare, enthusiastically expressed her support, saying “I constantly work to help make women’s beauty wishes come true, and now we can help children’s wishes come true through the LATISSE™ Wishes campaign.”

It isn’t a mere coincidence that the Make-A-Wish foundation was chosen as a beneficiary; the superstitious tradition of “blowing on an eyelash to make a wish come true” provides a clever marketing strategy.

Allergan is encouraging consumers to help double the donation amount by visiting www.Latisse.com and registering their support. From now until the end of the year, the company will donate 5 dollars for each new registration, up to one million dollars.

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