Allergan CEO Defends Botox From New Challenger

MATTHEW PERRONE

WASHINGTON (AP) — For nearly a decade, aging Americans who wanted to wipe the wrinkles from their foreheads had one choice: Botox, the refined form of the botulism-causing toxin that temporarily removes frown lines.

Barely a week after the Food and Drug Administration cleared way for a second anti-wrinkle drug, Botox maker Allergan is defending its top product as it also fights against an economic downturn that has consumers cutting back on beauty expenses.

Last week, Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp.'s Dysport became the second drug to win FDA approval to compete in the anti-wrinkle market. A full-scale product launch is expected by July.

"Each of these botulinum toxins behaves in practice quite differently," Allergan Chief Executive David Pyott said in an interview with the Associated Press. "We've said for quite a while that switching from one to another is like saying 'I'm going to stop speaking English and start talking to you in German.'"

Pyott stressed that Botox and Dysport are not interchangeable because the drugs are dosed and injected differently.