Several new non-surgical options for wrinkle treatment and volume restoration may be introduced to the U.S. marketplace within the next year, as injectable fillers and wrinkle relaxers already being used in Europe undergo clinical trials and seek FDA approval.

The introduction of new cosmetic injectables not only offers patients more choices in facial rejuvenation, but also more competitive pricing and better results produced by better technology.

New hyaluronic acid fillers

Many of the new injectable fillers headed for the U.S. are composed of hyaluronic acid gel, including:

• Belotero (Merz), a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler similar to Juvederm offered in three concentrations—soft, basic and intense
• Restylane Vital & SubQ (Medicis), thinner and thicker formulations in the Restylane family of injectable HA fillers
• Juvederm Voluma & Hydrate (Allergan), thinner and thicker formulations in the Juvederm family of injectable HA fillers

Belotero has already been filed with the FDA and is purported to provide an improved level of tissue integration that causes fewer incidences of lumps and bumps than other hyaluronic acid fillers.

Juvederm Voluma is used throughout Europe for adding large amounts of volume to the face, such as the chin and cheeks.  SubQ is also a large volume filler reportedly used for both facial contouring and body contouring, including buttock and breast augmentation.

Restylane Vital and Juvederm Hydrate are ideal for treating areas that have been historically difficult to correct with fillers, such as the back of the hands, décolleté and neck, and both purportedly offer wrinkle prevention by boosting skin hydration and elasticity.

Unlike Juvederm Hydrate, Restylane Vital offers a specialized automatic injection pen that regulates product injection volume and speed for more precise results.

Other innovative facial fillers

Novabel is the first injectable filler composed of spherical, flexible structures called Geleons, which are formed from marine brown algae extract.  This patented Geleon technology reportedly makes Novabel injections virtually pain-free and also improves skin elasticity.

In addition, the composition of Novabel is said to make injection easier and reduce swelling, making it ideal for adding volume to facial areas with thin skin, such as the eyelids and tear troughs.

In addition to Novabel, another new non-HA filler is working its way to the U.S.  Derma Veil, a pure collagen stimulator made of polylactic and polyglycolic acids (PLGA) will compete with Sculptra for a portion of the facial volume restoration market if approved.

Better than Botox? Naked botulinum type A injectables

In addition to injectable fillers, new botulinum type A neurotoxins Xeomin and PurTox are also poised to enter the U.S. marketplace.

Unlike Botox and Dysport, the active protein structures of PurTox and Xeomin products are not complexed to other, inactive proteins, leaving the active proteins “naked.”

As a result, it is theorized that these wrinkle relaxers may work faster, last longer and decrease the possibility of allergic reaction and development of blocking antibodies in patients.

PurTox has completed clinical trials and may be close to FDA approval.