NEWS AND ANALYSIS

New filler brands to join Allergan portfolio

Allergan Aesthetics is to acquire an additional range of dermal fillers to join Juvéderm in a deal with Isreali company Luminera. The privately held aesthetics company is selling its full dermal filler portfolio and R&D pipeline to Allergan.

This includes brands Crystalys, Hydryalix and Hydryal, a mix of HA dermal fillers and CaHA (calcium hydroxyapatite)-based fillers commercialised across several markets.

However, Luminera’s key focus for the future is HArmonyCa, a dermal filler intended for facial soft tissue augmentation comprised of a combination of cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) with embedded calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) microspheres.

HArmonyCa is currently commercially available in Israel and Brazil.

“The addition of the Luminera assets adds innovative technology, complementing our leading Juvéderm filler franchise,” said Carrie Strom, senior vice president at AbbVie, and president of Global Allergan Aesthetics. “We welcome the Luminera team as we continue to build our global aesthetics company and a world-class product offering for healthcare professionals and patients around the world.”

Luminera chairman Dadi Segal added, “We believe bringing together key, innovative Luminera assets with the support of Allergan Aesthetics will provide an even brighter future for our people and products and a more expanded offering for our customers. This is a tremendous opportunity to further build, develop and collaborate with a leading global aesthetics company.”

BCAM extends support to banning filler for under-18s

The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) has agreed to extend its national audit data collection to cover treatments on those under the age of 18 in order to support information gathering for the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Private Member’s Bill.

The Bill would make it an offence to administer botulinum toxin or dermal fillers to people under 18 unless there is an assessed medical need by a statutorily-regulated healthcare professional.

BCAM president Dr Uliana Gout said: “BCAM fully endorses the Private Member’s Bill and increased regulation in our specialty. BCAM has a good professional relationship with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and just this week have agreed to extend our national audit data collection of aesthetic medicine to cover under 18-year-old patient treatments. This will support the information gathering efforts to generate national statistics in this critical area.”

The bill has reached the Committee Stage in parliament and the first sitting of the Public Bill Committee will take place on a date to be announced.

Humans may be able to regenerate baby-like skin

Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have discovered a genetic factor that allows adult skin to repair itself like that of a baby. The study, published in journal eLife, identified a factor in baby mice that “acts like a molecular switch” to control the formation of hair follicles as they develop hair follicles in the first week of life.

After skin forms the “switch” is mostly turned off and remains off in adult tissue. However, the researchers worked out a way to reactivate the Lef1 switch in specialised cells in adult mice and found that their skin was able to heal wounds without scarring. The findings could have implications for better skin wound treatment and preventing some aspects of the ageing process in human skin. The researchers suggested that the secret to human regeneration might be found by studying our own early development.

“We were able to take the innate ability of young, neonatal skin to regenerate and transfer that ability to old skin,” said Ryan Driskell, an assistant professor in WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences. “We have shown in principle that this kind of regeneration is possible.”

The WSU research team received a support grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue working to understand how Lef1 and other factors work to repair skin.

APPGS calls for urgent skin disease mental health support

New mental health funding promised to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) must urgently be used to invest in and improve mental health services that are dedicated to dermatology patients, advised a report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin (APPGS).

The survey revealed that 98% of skin disease patients feel their condition affects their emotional and psychological wellbeing, and 5% have suicidal thoughts. Despite these statistics, only 18% have received some form of psychological support. Over half of the patients surveyed for the report did not realise specialised support was available for people with skin conditions, in the form of psychodermatology.

It also found that 93% of people with skin disease reported a negative impact on their self-esteem, 69% reported a negative impact on their work or education and 100% of the 27 children who responded to the survey indicated that their skin condition affected their psychological wellbeing.

Mandatory psychodermatology training, an increase in dermatology training numbers, and comprehensive dedicated psychodermatology services in each region of the UK were all identified as key recommendations for improving services.

In addition, the report found that there is a need for all dermatology units to have named, dedicated staff either to manage patients with skin and mental health disease or refer patients to a nearby regional service.

Another major issue identified by the report is the lack of paediatric psychodermatology clinics – currently there is only one in the UK.

Sir Edward Leigh MP, chair of the APPGS and Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, said: “I was alarmed by the lack of psychological support that is available to people with a skin condition. The NHS must urgently invest in, and expand, specialist mental health support for people with a skin condition.”

Aesthetic Medicine to host free virtual conference

AM is hosting a Virtual Conference from Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 November, supported by the British Institute of Aesthetic Medicine (BIAM). Set to deliver 18 hours of free online education over Zoom, the conference will cover four main agendas: skin (Monday), devices (Tuesday), business workshops (Tuesday) and clinical (Wednesday). The clinical agenda is only available to medical professionals who are members of the GMC, NMC, GDC and GPhC.

Confirmed speakers so far include the Black Aesthetics Advisory Board (see pages 22 to 26), Dr Preema Vig, Dr Raj Thethi, Dr Mahsa Saleki and Dr Nick Lowe.

Conference Sponsor Lynton Lasers will host a webinar with laser expert Kerry Belba on “How to diversify with devices”, while other Session Sponsors include Mesoestetic, BTL and National Medical Weight Loss Programme.

See the full agenda and register in advance for webinar sessions: aestheticmed.co.uk/signup

Anti-ageing market set for huge growth over next decade

The global anti-ageing market is predicted to surpass $421.4bn (£328.43bn) revenue by 2030, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%, according to a report by P&S Intelligence.

In 2019, the anti-wrinkle category generated the highest revenue for the market, with dermal fillers being projected to exhibit faster growth than botulinum toxin during the forecast period.

Hair restoration treatments are also projected to retain their market dominance during the forecast period with the increasing number of hair transplant surgeries and growing geriatric population across the globe being the key driving factors.

Generation X is projected to advance with the fastest pace in the anti-ageing market in terms of demography. Furthermore, gen X is expected to remain the largest consumer of antiagieng products, followed by baby boomers, in terms of revenue contribution. This is because generation X is said to be more conscious about aesthetic appearance and therefore more likely to opt for solutions that reduce the signs of ageing.

North America is the highest revenue contributor to the market, due to its rising plastic surgery volume, booming geriatric population, and increasing popularity of non-surgical cosmetic procedures and sales of at-home anti-ageing products. Asia-Pacific (APAC) would witness the fastest industry advance in the next decade, owing to the rising number of elderly people, cosmetic surgeries, and conferences and seminars, which are helping raise awareness about the various products and treatments available.

Among the most significant players in the global anti-ageing market, according to the report, were Allergan, Candela Corporation, Hologic, Lumenis and Alma Lasers.

DHAT launches clinic business training for surgeons

Dalvi Humzah Aesthetic Training is to host a business training agenda to help newly qualified or soon-to-qualify aesthetic plastic surgeons get set up in private practice.

Under new company Success in Aesthetic Business, the one-day agenda will feature sessions on every aspect of setting up and running a private plastics practice, including web marketing, social media, tax planning, brand creation, content writing, working with the media, investment and customer service. Each will be presented by an industryexpert speaker.

The agenda will also include dedicated interactive, topic-based workshops to help delegates start implementing the day’s learnings in their own business. Delegates will have the opportunity to receive one-to-one advice on any of the day’s learnings, both on the day and on an ongoing basis afterwards.

The Success in Aesthetic Business Training Day will take place on 21 January 2021 at Resort World Birmingham. Register your interest: siab.co.uk

Transform Medical partners with NHS and expands in Scotland

Cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatment group Transform has extended two of its specialist hospitals to help NHS Trusts clear the backlog of operations as a result of covid-19.

The Pines Hopsital in Whythenshawe is working with Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust, and Burcot Hall Hospital in Bromsgrove with Worcester Acute NHS Trust. The Pines is set to treat up to 100 patients per week for operations including cancer-related breast reconstruction and dermatology surgeries, while Burcot Hall will see up to 30 patients per week over a six-month period for a range of procedures including vascular surgeries, ENT operations and upper and lower GI procedures.

Transform also recently announced that it is investing in its Scottish operation by expanding its existing clinic and looking for new locations. The Group currently operates a clinic in Glasgow, which will receive a £60,000 investment for refurbishment to enable the clinic to treat more patients and offer a more extensive list of treatments.

One room will be dedicated to laser treatments, while the refurbishment will also allow a selection of day surgeries to be offered at the clinic, such as scar revision and mole removal. The clinic will also debut the Group’s new, refreshed branding. The Group is also seeking new locations in Edinburgh (where there is already one site) and Aberdeen to further expand in Scotland.

Tony Veverka, chief executive of Transform Hospital Group, said: “We’ve seen growing demand for medical aesthetics treatments, minor surgery, weight loss interventions and cosmetic surgery from across Scotland, so expansion here is going to prove key for us in the coming months and years. 

“Our hospitals continue to support the NHS on an ongoing basis to reduce waiting times for patients, and we can also see that more people are now choosing to follow a private pathway to have a treatment where and when they want to. Our Glasgow clinic will also be increasing weightloss services in response to the increase in obesity rates in Scotland during the pandemic.”

NEWS IN PICS

Skincare retailing platform Get Harley partnered with distributor Aesthetic Source for a virtual cocktail evening to showcase SkinBetter Science products. Sipping on cocktails delivered to their doors, over 40 practitioners joined Tracey May-Harriet, head of international education and business development for the brand, to delve into the science behind the medical skincare brand, learning more about the recently launched professional peels and NPD for 2021. The presentation also detailed how Get Harley could help the practitioners provide a great service to their patients while also increasing retail revenue. Lorna McDonnell-Bowes, chief executive of Aesthetic Source, said: “It was great to be able to connect with new and existing customers, sharing a relaxed yet educational evening. I think we have found a great way that the clinics can now replicate with their clients and patients to maintain engagement and enjoy networking.”