Daxxify, an FDA-Approved Wrinkle Treatment, Is Longer Lasting Than Botox

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Daxxify, a new anti-wrinkle treatment that’s similar to Botox, but its effects can last much longer.

Made by Revance Therapeutics, Daxxify is a neuromuscular blocking agent that “paralyzes” wrinkles the same way Botox does.

“These medications all work to decrease the activation of the muscles in which they are injected,” Alexander Zuriarrain, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and skincare specialist, told Verywell. “The purpose is to relax these muscles and avoid the creation of fine lines and wrinkles that occur over time. The more these muscles are activated, the more skin wrinkling can occur leading to evidence of premature aging.”

But what sets Daxxify apart from Botox is the duration of treatment results. Clinical trials showed that the product was found to last an average of six months, while similar products on the market typically last three to four months in the average patient.

“Having to inject this new product less frequently is a huge benefit to patients,” Zuriarrain said. 

Medical Uses

While Botox is currently the most popular anti-wrinkle drug on the market, it also has a number of off-label medical uses. And Daxxify has similar potential.

Kautilya Shaurya, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told Verywell that so far the studies on Daxxify have only been conducted on glabellar frown lines, the vertical lines that appear between eyebrows.

However, based on the clinical mechanism of the drug, Shaurya said Daxxify will most likely be effective for the same off-label uses as Botox. This includes excessive sweating, overactive bladder, and cervical dystonia—and Botox has been officially approved to treat migraines.

Side Effects

During clinical trials, Daxxify was found to be more much effective than a placebo. Approximately 80% of the participants who received the treatment saw no or mild facial lines four months after the injection, while half saw no or mild lines up until six months later.

The most commonly reported adverse effects from the injection were headache (6%), drooping eyelid (2%), and partial paralysis of the face (1%).

Clinical studies also advise health practitioners to use caution when administering the drug to patients with pre-existing heart disease, compromised respiratory function, or dysphagia.

Revance has yet to reveal the price of the drug, but Zuriarrain believes the new treatment will initially command a higher price due to the decreased frequency of injections.