Allergan PLC (AGN) is a large market cap ($65B) biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of innovative and generic therapeutics for diseases affecting the eyes, bowel, lungs, skin, urogenital systems and brain. Through the acquisition of Tobira Pharmaceuticals and its assets including cenicriviroc (CVC), Allergan is one of the leaders in the clinical development of anti-NASH therapeutics (the focus of this article).
Step therapy is largely unregulated both at the state and federal level, though individual states have started to pass legislation to limit step therapy and protect patients: 19 US states, including California, Mississippi, and Illinois, have laws that require insurance companies to grant certain exemptions or to review appeals from doctors within 72 hours so patients can get a waiver. But even then, getting a waiver isn’t always easy.

Hoffman’s husband’s experience is not unusual. Once a patient gets the more expensive prescription, health insurance providers can still try and push them back to cheaper drugs. Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Loder says that most health insurance companies stop paying for Botox if it’s not reducing a patient’s migraines by at least 50 percent. “It’s important to keep careful headache diaries and keep careful notes in order to be able to prove to the insurance company that the treatment is worth it,” Loder says. “You’re not home free once they approve it.”

In clinical trials, 6.5% of patients (36/552) initiated clean intermittent catheterization for urinary retention following treatment with BOTOX® 100 Units as compared to 0.4% of patients (2/542) treated with placebo. The median duration of catheterization for patients treated with BOTOX® 100 Units was 63 days (minimum 1 day to maximum 214 days) as compared to a median duration 11 days (minimum 3 days to maximum 18 days) for patients receiving placebo.
The most commonly reported side effects for JUVÉDERM® injectable gels were injection-site redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC, dryness was also reported. For JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC, side effects were predominantly moderate in severity, with duration of 2 to 4 weeks; for JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC , JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC, or JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC, they were mostly mild or moderate in severity, with duration of 14 days or less; and for JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC, they were predominantly mild or moderate, with duration of 30 days or less.
The use of Botox for migraines was, like many other new applications for the drug, a kind of happy accident. A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon observed that people who got Botox for wrinkles were reporting fewer headaches, paving the way for studies about migraines. Similarly, doctors in Europe were intrigued when they noticed that their patients who got Botox for facial spasms were sweating less than usual.
Other adverse reactions that occurred more frequently in the BOTOX group compared to the placebo group at a frequency less th an 1% and potentially BOTOX related include: vertigo, dry eye, eyelid edema, dysphagia, eye infection, and jaw pain. Severe worsening of migraine requiring hospitalization occurred in approximately 1% of BOTOX treated patients in Study 1 and Study 2, usually within the first week after treatment, compared to 0.3% of placebo-treated patients.
In the event of overdose, antitoxin raised against botulinum toxin is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. However, the antitoxin will not reverse any botulinum toxin-induced effects already apparent by the time of antitoxin administration. In the event of suspected or actual cases of botulinum toxin poisoning, please contact your local o r state Health Department to process a request for antitoxin through the CDC. If you do not receive a response within 30 minutes, please contact the CDC directly at 1-770-488-7100. More information can be obtained at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5232a8.htm.

The initial listed doses of the reconstituted BOTOX [see Preparation And Dilution Technique] typically create paralysis of the injected muscles beginning one to two days after injection and increasing in intensity during the first week. The paralysis lasts for 2-6 weeks and gradually resolves over a similar time period. Overcorrections lasting over six months have been rare. About one half of patients will require subsequent doses because of inadequate paralytic response of the muscle to the initial dose, or because of mechanical factors such as large deviations or restrictions, or because of the lack of binocular motor fusion to stabilize the alignment .

When receiving Botox, it’s critical to know what you’re getting and to be sure that you get what you pay for. Usually, the cost of Botox is calculated on a per unit basis. This is the preferred option of many patients and surgeons as you only pay for the units of Botox used to treat any given area. This means that if you only require ten units to correct your forehead wrinkles, you simply pay for ten units at the specified price and that’s it.
On July 7, 2015, the company acquired the rights to the late stage CGRP migraine portfolio of Merck & Co, as well as two experimental drugs (MK-1602 and MK-8031) for an upfront payment of $250 million.[12] On August 10, the company acquired Oculeve for $125 million.[13] On August 31, the company acquired Naurex for an upfront payment of $560 million.[14] On October 19, the company acquired AqueSys, developer of ocular implants that reduce intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma, for an initial payment of $300 million.[15] On October 1, the company acquired Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, a company focused on the medical aesthetics market, for $2.1 billion.[16] On November 4 the company announced the acquisition of Northwood Medical Innovation, developer of earFold, a medical device to correct protruding ears.[17] On November 25, 2015, the company announced it would partner with Rugen Therapeutic to develop new therapies for autism spectrum disorder, rabies and obsessive compulsive disorder.[18]

In this study the median total BOTOX dose in patients randomized to receive BOTOX (N=88) was 236 Units, with 25th to 75th percentile ranges of 198 Units to 300 Units. Of these 88 patients, most received injections to 3 or 4 muscles; 38 received in jections to 3 muscles, 28 to 4 muscles, 5 to 5 muscles, and 5 to 2 muscles. The dose was divided amongst the affected muscles in quantities shown in Table 36. The total dose and muscles selected were tailored to meet individual patient needs.

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With the outbreak of World War II, weaponization of botulinum toxin was investigated at Fort Detrick in Maryland. Carl Lamanna and James Duff[42] developed the concentration and crystallization techniques that Edward J. Schantz used to create the first clinical product. When the Army’s Chemical Corps was disbanded, Schantz moved to the Food Research Institute in Wisconsin, where he manufactured toxin for experimental use and generously provided it to the academic community.
Botox must be used only under a doctor's care. It's important that injections be placed precisely in order to avoid side effects. Botox therapy can be dangerous if it's administered incorrectly. Ask for a referral from your primary care doctor or look for a doctor who specializes in your condition and who has experience in administering Botox treatments.

Other side effects of BOTOX® and BOTOX® Cosmetic include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of eyelids, dry eyes, and drooping eyebrows. In people being treated for urinary incontinence other side effects include: urinary tract infection, painful urination, and/or inability to empty your bladder on your own. If you have difficulty fully emptying your bladder after receiving BOTOX®, you may need to use disposable self-catheters to empty your bladder up to a few times each day until your bladder is able to start emptying again.