Botox Approved For Severe Migraines
The approval comes just over a month after Allergan, the manufacturer of the drug, agreed to pay $600 million to settle a federal probe into its marketing practices for Botox. The company was accused of marketing the drug for medical uses for which it had not been approved.
Botox has become one of Allegran’s top selling drugs since being introduced in 1989. Last year, Botox alone accounted for more than $1.3 billion of the company’s $4.4 billion sales. Profits are expected to increase tremendously given this new use approval and the ability for qualifying patients to have the insurance companies pick up the tab.
Botox is most famous for its ability to smooth wrinkles on aging faces. It is also approved to treat eye muscle disorders, neck spasms and excessive underarm sweating. Although the FDA has approved the drug for chronic migraines, studies have failed to show that it works for occasional headaches or occasional migraines.
