Allergan, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures Botox, has received the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) for its JUVÉDERM® XC. JUVÉDERM XC is a new formulation that contains lidocaine to make the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds much more comfortable.

The FDA has recommended but has not made it a requirement for indoor tanning bed operators to limit teens to three or fewer tanning bed sessions in the first week. Researchers from San Diego State University and colleagues have indicated that only about 11% indoor tanning bed operators did so, and 71% of tanning bed operators said they would allow a teen to tan seven days a week.

Solta Medical Inc has received approval from the FDA of a new version of its popular Fraxel re:store Dual Laser System to clear pigmentation and other superficial skin conditions. The device with a 1550 nanometer (nm) wavelength already has the regulatory approval for skin resurfacing and treatment of pigmented lesions and certain other skin conditions.

Two FDA advisory committees voted in favor of the approval of Purdue Pharma’s reformulated version of long-acting OxyContin, despite some members’ concerns over the drug’s safety. The OxyContin drug designed to be abuse-deterrent. The reformulated version of OxyContin (oxycodone HCl) would be slightly safer than the current product, although its safety profile for the majority of users is still doubtful, according to David Margolis, the professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania.

The FDA has approved additional strengths of Medicis’ SOLODYN(R) (minocycline HCl, USP) Extended Release Tablets for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients aged 12 years and more. The drug will now be available in 65mg and 115mg dosages also. “These additional strengths will complement the current SOLODYN lineup to offer physicians more precise weight-based dosing options, and make SOLODYN the first and only extended release minocycline with five FDA-approved dosing strengths. We believe physicians and patients will appreciate the value of this greater dosing precision,” Jonah Shacknai, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medicis said.

The FDA has approved Sanofi-aventis US’ anti-wrinkle product SculptraAesthetic for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold, also called smile lines, contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles with the appropriate injection technique in healthy patients. SculptraAesthetic works gradually to offer natural-looking results that can last up to two years.

The FDA has approved the use of Sculptra Aesthetic long acting facial filler that builds collagen. Sculptra Aesthetic (injectable poly-L-lactic acid) has been approved for use by a trained physician to correct shallow to deep nasolabial fold (smile lines) contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles. The injectable dermal filler works gradually to offer natural-looking results that can last up to two years. The treatment was available in Europe for a decade.

A new prescription acne gel called Epiduo has been approved by the FDA for patients aged 12 and more. Epiduo is the combination of two drugs, benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%, which are being used as acne treatments since long. Epiduo, manufactured by Galderma, is the once daily drug and is the “first and only” combination acne gel of its kind.

Syneron(TM) Medical Ltd. has launched the sleek eMatrix(TM) treatment system, a portable touch-screen device that allows physicians to program dermatological procedures requiring skin resurfacing. An exciting advancement in aesthetic procedure technology that helps physicians to treat more patients in more locations, eMatrix utilizes Matrix RF(TM), the world’s first RF-only technology for fractional ablation and skin resurfacing, which was FDA-cleared and received the CE Mark for wrinkle reduction in August. The new eMatrix system uses fractional tissue heating to provide ablation and effective resurfacing.

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development has announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for ceftobiprole for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections. The FDA has indicated that they cannot approve the NDA for ceftobiprole at this time. They have asked J&JPRD to conduct additional audit work of clinical investigator sites and to address specific questions related to site monitoring.