US drug maker Allergan, the California-based company that makes anti-wrinkle treatment Botox, has developed a new cosmetic drug that makes eyelashes grow longer, thicker and darker.
On 4 June the company announced it would file for US Food and Drug Administration approval for the drug before the end of September – confirming speculation it would make an eyelash-boosting drug based on bimatoprost, the active ingredient its glaucoma drug Lumigan.
Increased eyelash growth is one of the commonest side-effects of Lumigan, which in 2001 was approved in the US as a glaucoma treatment to reduce pressure inside the eye in the US. Botox's cosmetic effects were discovered in a similar way, when doctors giving the injection to relieve muscle spasms and treat crossed eyes noticed that wrinkles around the eyes were also reduced. continue reading
[mashshare]
