Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Joel Schlessinger presented the findings at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery 2010 Annual Meeting; his results were of a subset analysis of a phase 3 clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Dysport.

The Dysport group had 1,160 people, and 19.7 percent of the patients responded to Dysport on day one. Three days was the median response time to the Dysport treatment.

Dr. Schlessinger said, “There are many different neurotoxins out there, and they have different types of effects on the injected individual, depending on the physical and molecular makeup of the neurotoxin.” He went on to say that Dysport appears to take effect slightly faster than Botox, by about two days. “That can be very helpful for a person who is looking for a faster onset, especially if [he or she] has a social function coming up,” he said.

Dr. Elliot Weiss from the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York in New York City, said that the study “validates what clinicians have observed clinically with the use of [Dysport] with regard to its early onset of action in many patients.”

Learn more about non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The U.K. approval could shortly precede a decision on Botox as a migraine treatment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The clinical trial had 1,384 adult participants who had a history of migraines and who experienced 15 or more headache days of which at least 50 percent were migraine or probable migraine during the trial’s 28-day baseline period. After the baseline, patients were randomized to receive either Botox injections or placebo.

Patients who received Botox averaged 8.2 fewer migraine days by week 24 following treatment, which was significantly greater than the change from baseline observed in placebo-treated patients of 6.2 days.

Lee Tomkins, director of the U.K.’s Migraine Action, stressed it was not a “cure” but said it offered hope for those who suffer the most frequent migraines. “We have been following these studies really closely and the evidence is really pretty solid. These people spend half their lives in pain. Even if they get half the attacks, it can really improve their quality of life,” said Tomkins.

In 2009, Botox was the number one minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ most recent statistics. Botox is also the most  popular non-surgical treatment at Dr. Branman’s Little Rock office.

Allergan, the pharmaceutical company behind Botox, has filed for FDA approval to market the injectable drug as a migraine treatment.  Researchers don’t know exactly how Botox works to relieve headaches, but one co-author of the study, Rami Burstein tells Bloomberg news: “[Botox] may block the signals in sensory nerves located on the outside of the head.”

• Read more on bloomberg.com
• Read more about Botox in Little Rock

According to CNN Money , revenues for Dysport manufacturer Medicis last quarter are 30 percent above last year’s figures.  “We are encouraged by the positive physician and patient response to DYSPORT” said Medicis CEO Jonah Shacknai.

While other products may have played a role, Dysport sales were a major factor.  Yet, the new drug still didn’t manage to hurt sales of Botox, the only competitor on the market right now.

Aided by a 3 percent increase in Botox sales, “Allergan’s third quarter profit rose 8.3 percent” reports the Wall Street Journal. New treatment applications are also in the works, which would likely drive sales further.

Although there’s been a positive response to Dysport in Little Rock , the brand awareness of Botox is still a major factor affecting sales, and that probably won’t change anytime soon.