FDA Approves Injectable Wrinkle Treatment To Treat Facial Fat Loss in HIV-Positive People

San Mateo, Calif.-based BioForm Medical late last month in a release announced FDA has approved its injectable wrinkle treatment Radiesse to treat facial fat loss in HIV-positive people, Reuters reports (Reuters, 12/27/06). Radiesse, which contains a synthetic bone-like material that stimulates collagen growth, has been used in reconstructive facial surgeries in the U.S. since 2002, the Wall Street Journal reports. An FDA study of 117 patients who received both Radiesse and Cosmoplast, a collagen, found there was no difference in adverse side effects between the two treatments. Radiesse will cost approximately $850 annually, according to BioForm CEO Steven Basta (Rundle, Wall Street Journal, 12/27/06). According to BioForm, the treatment also was approved to treat moderate to severe facial wrinkles (Reuters, 12/27/06).