Replies to post #158683 on Biotech Values

[dav1234]

J&J's answer to Botox may cause frown lines at Allergan. http://reut.rs/105hJEe $AGN $JNJ

[DewDiligence]

Re: JNJ’s threat to Botox

There is virtually no chance that J&J can come up with a "longer lasting Botox." The reason why has to do with how Botox works..Botox works by destroying the neuro-muscular connections of the facial muscles involved in the wrinkling process..Botox is present in very small concentrations...so small that it is hypothesized that the low incidence of allergic reactions to the drug are thought to be due to the amount being insufficient to register with the immune system. Botox fixes at the N-M junction soon after injection and takes around 4 days to destroy it. Botox does not result in perminent loss of function because neither the muscle cell or the nerve cell are killed..just the motor endplate...The muscle cell continues to secrete Neural Growth Factors which entice the nerve to re-establish connection with the muscle cell...The duration of the Botox effect is principally determined by the time it tales the nerve cell to re-establish the NM connnection, and not the continued presence of Botox in the area.

Based on the MoA of botulinum toxin, I too thought as you did that the duration of action had an unalterable upper bound. However, the reason JNJ is suggesting a longer duration of action in the Reuters piece I posted is that JNJ’s phase-3 studies have shown that. (I know this from sources that I cannot reveal.)

It remains to be seen whether the FDA label for PurTox (or whatever JNJ’s product ends up being called) states anything about a longer duration; however, there is no doubt that JNJ hopes to position PurTox as a better, longer-acting alternative to Botox. Regards, Dew