The FDA approved Revance Therapeutics' Daxxify, an anti-wrinkle drug and Botox competitor, Sept. 7.
The manufacturer hoped for an approval date of November 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and a June 2021 inspection that discovered quality control and cell bank problems delayed the process.
The drug, which is delivered by injection, reduces the appearance of facial wrinkles for about six months. Mark Foley, CEO of Revance Therapeutics, told The New York Times Sept. 8 that the company spent many years trying to discover an "effective neuromuscular blocking agent" that could be applied without a needle and found that peptide technology kept the formula stable.
"It also opens up the door for what we can do with therapeutics," Mr. Foley said. "If you think of migraines, cervical dystonia, overactive bladder, there's a huge medical opportunity as well."