6 New Injectables For Face And Body

It’s been a big couple of months for the injectables market with both the highly anticipated arrival of the Restylane® Kysse lip filler in May and the announcement of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving the first injectable cellulite treatment, Endo Aesthetics’ Qwo™, this month.

In an industry on track to grow to $21.3 billion by 2023 — even with a slight dip this year due to COVID-19 — it seems R&D teams are working overtime to find different and better treatment options for aesthetics fans in search of minimally invasive solutions. And with the advent of faster-acting and longer-lasting products and totally new innovations and skin problem solvers, the future looks bright.

Here, the latest batch of fillers, neurotoxins, and needle-based treatments that have either been released in recent weeks or will soon be making their way to a doctor’s office near you.

1. Restylane® Kysse

What It Is: Hyaluronic acid-based lip filler Look For It: Now The Skinny: Previously available in international markets, Restylane® Kysse is the latest pout-plumping offering from Galderma. This hyaluronic acid filler, which is spiked with lidocaine for injection comfort, has grabbed attention for being designed with a technology that, as Sejal Shah, MD, the board certified dermatologist behind SmarterSkin Dermatology in New York City, puts it, “allows better integration with the tissue of the lip and results in a more natural look and feel.” This was borne out in a phase four “kissability” study funded by its maker, Restylane® Kysse, which found that all subjects (100 percent) and a majority of their partners (90 percent) were satisfied with their lips after treatment. Most partners (73 percent) reported “a more kissable and natural feel.”

What’s more? In an earlier clinical trial, the filler required a lower amount of product compared to the control (1.82 mL vs. 2.24 mL) to reach an increase in fullness. And results lasted up to a year — longer than the six to nine months you typically get with other fillers.

2. BoNTE

What It Is: Fast-acting, short-term Botox® Look For It: On the horizon The Skinny: Set to be a ‘gateway’ neurotoxin that can help introduce hesitant users to the wrinkle reducer, BoNTE is a kind of fast-acting, mini-Botox®. This neurotoxin offering (also referred to by its much less catchy name, EB-001A) takes hold in just 24 hours — as opposed to the week or so it takes traditional forms to work — and sticks around for just two to four weeks.

Still awaiting its U.S. debut and currently in phase two of testing, it was snapped up by Allergan in the acquisition of Bonti in 2018. And, when it does come to market, Jacob Unger, MD, a Nashville-based board certified plastic surgeon, believes the quick results will cater to procrastinators, explaining the injectable “will be great for people who need last-minute touch-ups or have an upcoming event and either forgot or couldn’t get Botox® a few weeks in advance.” Dr. Shah also sees potential for other uses, such as in patients undergoing face or neck surgeries to temporarily reduce movement during the initial healing phase. Regardless, “it will be a premium product, but should find a place in the Botox® universe,” Dr. Unger says.

3. DAXI

What It Is: A prolonged botulinum toxin
Look For It: Fall 2020 (it’s been accepted for review by the FDA with an action date of November 25, 2020) The Skinny: On the opposite end of the time spectrum from BoNTE comes DaxibotulinumtoxinA, or DAXI, a buzzed-about neurotoxin from Revance Therapeutics making big promises to last six full months. Will it really be the answer for results in fewer derm visits? Possibly. In phase three clinical trials, DAXI helped reduce frown (a.k.a. glabellar) lines for a median of 24. However, Dr. Shah points out that, while it could be a game-changer, “I think we still need more on how it compares to more established neurotoxins.” Dr. Unger echoes that thought, adding, “time will tell — many prior promises have not necessarily come to fruition.”

4. Juvéderm® Volite

What It Is: A hyaluronic acid-based skin-conditioning treatment Look For It: On the horizon The Skinny: Currently available in Europe, Juvéderm® Volite is more skincare than filler. “It’s an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment that improves the overall skin quality, [including] hydration, plumpness, smoothness and elasticity,” Dr. Shah explains. The treatment, which involves a series of small pricks throughout the targeted area, lasts up to nine months. Although you may see an improvement in fine lines, the real magic is its promise to erase dryness, dullness, and mild textural issues. The results of a phase three trial were released last year, so it could be coming to an office near you sooner rather than later.

5. Qwo™

What It Is: The first injectable treatment for cellulite Look For It: Now The Skinny: If you noticed a ruckus on July 6, that may have been cellulite battlers everywhere letting out a collective cheer at the news that Endo Aesthetics’ Qwo™ (a.k.a. collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aae) was FDA approved to treat the condition in the U.S. “This is definitely a huge step forward in the treatment of this challenging problem,” Dr. Unger says. “[It’s] a true medication to help target the actual cause of cellulite has never before existed.” But there may be a catch. Because it works by breaking down the fibrous bands that cause the dimpled effect at the skin’s surface, “I would expect injector technique to be very important to target only the areas of tissue you want to destroy,” he cautions.

6. Teosyal® RHA 1

What It Is: A hyaluronic acid-based filler Look For It: 2021 The Skinny: The family of Teosyal® RHA fillers has one more on the way: RHA 1. This group of hyaluronic acid-based offerings made by Teoxane and distributed by the Revance Therapeutics is created with a cross-linking process that Dr. Shah says is similar to technology used in Restylane® Defyne and Refyne that allows for very natural results. The fourth version will feature the same dose of numbing lidocaine for pain as the original three and simply add another consistency for doctors to choose from for wrinkles in the face, neck, and décolleté.