A "NATURAL botox" product is being created by Burdica Biomed, a Scottish start-up firm, in a multimillion-pound deal with a European medical device manufacturer.
Burdica, part of the Edinburgh Pre-Incubator Scheme, will provide the base material for an injectable gel filler which can be used for lip enhancement and wrinkle reduction. The product should complete registration next year and will allow the firm t
o break into the $750m global market for "dermal fillers".
Unlike Botox, which is made from a poison, Burdica's material is based on hyaluronic acid (HA), a substance that occurs naturally in the body.
While other companies, such as Qmed and Allergan, already offer injectable HA-based fillers, Burdica says its product will be manufactured to make its effect on users longer-lasting and its dosage more controllable.
Kevin Burd, director of Burdica, said: "You could call our product a 'natural botox', but HA can be used for a number of applications, from anti-ageing treatments to breast implants."
The company will aim to capitalise on the growing market for such procedures as non-surgical "lunchtime facelifts".
Its product, which has not yet been trademarked, will firstly be distributed in Europe through a number of channels, likely to include doctors and dentists. Burdica launched in October 2007 and aims to be profitable within 18 months. As well as being in the dermal filler market, it is also working on fertility products and personal lubricants.
