Botox-Maker Allergan in Patent Spat Over Next-Wave Wrinkle Fixer
- Fight over technology that makes facial injection less painful
- Allergan says Juvedérm product sales ‘will far surpass’ Botox
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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Many wrinkle haters endured painful gel injections in the face to get the smoother skin they wanted, until Allergan Plc developed a way to take some of the sting out of the process by adding a small amount of local anesthetic.
While the improvement has helped the Juvedérm product line top $500 million a year in U.S. sales for Allergan, which also makes the blockbuster wrinkle-remedy Botox, the company now alleges a smaller rival, Prollenium Medical Technologies Inc., has been using its inventions without permission.