Dive Brief:
- Allergan has acquired Anterios in a $90 million deal expanding the Irish company's neurotoxin delivery capabilities. Anterios specializes in botulinum toxin-based prescription drugs and has developed technology for the delivery of Botox and other neurotoxins through the skin.
- The deal also gives Allergan rights to ANT-1207, a topical drug intended to treat excessive sweating, acne, and crow's feet. However, because Anterios spun out ANT-1207 to Eirion Therapeutics before this dea closed, Eirion will retain non-exclusive rights.
- Anterios' platform importantly would not require injections for the delivery of Botox and other drugs.
Dive Insight:
The news of the acquisition comes as Allergan is exploring other treatment possibilities for Botox.
Although Botox is more widely used for cosmetic applications, the drug does have several other current indications, including for treatment of eyelid spasms, migraines, and urinary incontinence. Currently, Botox is in phase 2 studies for both depression and osteoarthritis.
The depression research focuses on the idea that emotions are actually tied to muscles in the forehead. By making it impossible to express negative feelings, those feelings could be diminished. Preliminary data, including data presented at the American Psychiatric Association meeting last year, has been encouraging. In one study, depressed patients treated with Botox, experienced a 47% reduction in symptoms of depression, compared with 9.2% of placebo-treated patients.
Since Botox works by blocking the transmission of certain chemical signals that relay information between nerves and the brain, theoretically the drug should also be able to block pain in specific areas. In early-stage studies involving subjects with osteoarthritis, there was evidence to support this theory.
Allergan is testing Botox for treatment of osteoarthritis, using change from baseline in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain Score.