Botox manufacturer Allergan adds non-invasive under eye bag treatment to portfolio

Allergan, the company behind the Botox brand of botulinum toxin, has acquired Topokine Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that develops topical medicines for fat reduction, for an upfront payment of USD$85 million.

Topokine’s key product is XAF5, a topical agent that pharmacologically shrinks the fat pads that cause under eye bags (known scientifically as steatoblepharon), currently in the latter stages of development. In a phase-2, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial, XAF5 achieved “statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions” in under eye bags.

“XAF5 has the potential to be the first topical fat reduction product for the treatment of steatoblepharon, a condition with no current therapeutic options available for patients. We look forward to continuing the outstanding development work conducted by the Topokine team to bring this innovative medical aesthetic treatment to market," said David Nicholson, executive vice president and president of global brands research and development at Allergan.

"Physicians and their patients have been seeking an FDA-approved, non-invasive treatment option to address under eye bags where current treatment options are limited," commented Jeffrey Dover, MD, FRCPC, a board-certified dermatologist and director of SkinCare Physicians. "Adding a topical treatment that physicians could offer to their patients would be an important step forward in the treatment of steatoblepharon."