US. Elizabeth Arden has entered into an exclusive co-marketing agreement with Allergan, a specialty pharmaceutical company and market leader in dermatology.
Allergan is the maker of Botox Cosmetic, currently the number one non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the US, and MD Forte, a leading physician-dispensed skincare line.
The partnership will bring a newly formulated PREVAGE line to prestige cosmetic retailers worldwide through Elizabeth Arden. The new formulation will contain 0.5% idebenone, described as a “patented, potent and effective antioxidant”.
The physician-strength product containing 1% idebenone will be known as PREVAGE MD and will continue to be sold by Allergan though physicians. PREVAGE was launched by Allergan this January.
“The dermatology-inspired skincare market is experiencing explosive growth,” commented Elizabeth Arden Chairman and CEO Scott Beattie. “The collaboration of Allergan, one of the world’s foremost specialty pharmaceutical companies, and Elizabeth Arden, a leader in innovative skincare since 1910, will bring PREVAGE and its breakthrough technology to the global skincare market.
“We intend to take advantage of this opportunity and establish a leadership position in this category. We expect the collaboration to grow the dermatology-inspired skincare market globally.”
Elizabeth Arden and Allergan will collaborate on all aspects of PREVAGE, including formulation, packaging design, and marketing.
The new formulation, created by Arden’s research and development team and Allergan’s scientists, will begin being distributed through leading department stores and prestige outlets worldwide in early 2006, and the physician product later in 2005.
Arden and Allergan will also collaborate on developing additional PREVAGE products.
“We will continue working together to create a portfolio of products and make the latest, most effective skincare anti-aging technology available to consumers globally,” said Beattie.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Elizabeth Arden,” said Bob Rhatigan, Vice President, Allergan’s US Dermatology business unit. “Our relationship will benefit from our mutual rich heritage in skincare.”
Idebenone is a benzoquinone compound currently used by the medical community. In the medical field, idebenone has been used, among other things, to protect organs from the oxidation process prior to transplant surgery. This same oxidation process is one of the primary causes of skin ageing, a fact that led scientists to research idebenone’s application as an antioxidant when topically applied to skin.
“PREVAGE represents a significant advance in skincare which is supported by scientific studies,” said Kenneth Hertz, MD, a leading dermatologist based in Miami and former clinical associate in the dermatology branch of the National Institute of Health.
“PREVAGE is an antioxidant that is clinically proven to protect the skin against environmental factors and to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
“Idebenone is currently the most effective molecule for use in preventing and addressing the impact of oxidative stress on the skin,” added David McDaniel, MD, Director, Institute of Anti-Ageing Research at Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School.
“Idebenone retards the signs of ageing and restores cell vitality. PREVAGE is clinically tested to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, increase skin hydration, and improve the overall appearance of the skin.”
“The idebenone in PREVAGE has been shown to have more reparative effects on the skin than other commonly used antioxidants,” said Heidi Waldorf, MD, Director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
A six-week clinical study to evaluate the use of PREVAGE, performed by Allergan’s independent testing lab, yielded the following results:
– 27% reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
– 22% reduction in skin roughness or dryness
-37% increase in skin hydration
-30% improvement in the appearance of skin.
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