|
 |
The FDA's approval of Evolence marks the first U.S. entry of a dermal filler for its maker, OrthoNeutrogena, an arm of Johnson & Johnson.
In a prepared statement, company Vice President Annie Heremans, M.D., Ph.D., says, "We are pleased to enter the U.S. aesthetic space with a differentiated dermal filler designed for optimal patient outcomes. . . . We anticipate Evolence will be a welcome addition to current aesthetic-treatment options."
The OrthoNeutrogena statement says Evolence will be available on the U.S. market throughout the second half of the year. The company says it will coordinate its STAR product-training training program with the launch, and that the product will be available only to physicians who complete the course."There's a lot of buzz about Evolence (Type 1 porcine collagen, ColBar LifeSciences Ltd; Herzliya, Israel/Ortho-McNeill-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and part of Johnson & Johnson; Skillman, N.J.,) because it's a very natural way to replace collagen with collagen," says Z. Paul Lorenc, M.D., F.A.C.S., a Manhattan-based aesthetic plastic surgeon and assistant professor of plastic surgery, New York University Medical School. "I tell everybody this is not your mother's collagen," he adds.
"The game-changing Glymatrix technology delivers everything people have loved about collagen, without some of the drawbacks," says David Mays, Pharm.D., M.B.A., director of aesthetic and medical dermatology, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Worldwide.
Along with providing soft, natural-looking corrections, Evolence provides longer-lasting corrections than prior collagen products, he says. Presently in the United States, Dr. Mays says, "Duration is identical to or better than what you would expect from a hyaluronic acid (HA). "Furthermore, Evolence requires no skin testing, which could accelerate its market acceptance, he says.
The above benefits accrue because Glymatrix collagen is the first collagen to cross-link collagen in the same way it's done in the body, says Dr. Mays. Just as the body uses glucose to cross-link collagen for durability, he explains, "Evolence uses D-ribose, a naturally occurring sugar, to mimic that. This enables Evolence to last up through six months when it's injected dermally."
"Collagen products tend to produce limited swelling and bruising and provide good correction to places like the lip and nasolabial fold," adds Nowell Solish, M.D., director of dermatologic surgery and assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Toronto. "Once I found a product that would last as long as HA and give me some of the benefits of collagen," he says, "I decided to give it a try."
Dr. Solish estimates he's treated perhaps 200 patients with Evolence in two years. In Canada, where Dr. Solish practices, two formulations of Evolence are available: the now FDA-approved classic Evolence and a lighter version called Evolence Breeze. Although one can inject Evolence virtually anywhere, he says, his favorite indication is lips, which require Evolence Breeze. "Within 12 hours," he says, "people have limited to no swelling, and the chance of bruising is small."
A typical lip treatment begins with an injection of local anesthetic. "Then I inject Evolence Breeze into the desired area, the same as I would any other filler."
Lips usually require one to 1.5 cc total of Glymatrix collagen, says Dr. Solish.
