Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA) is a prescription medication injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) in adults. Xeomin® contains botulinum toxin type A, a protein purified from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

When you squint or frown, the muscles between your eyebrows contract, causing the skin to furrow and fold. Over time, as your skin ages and loses some of its elasticity, these repeated contractions can cause persistent frown lines. Botulinum toxin type A – the active ingredient in Xeomin®– acts on nerve endings in muscles to prevent muscle fibers from contracting. By reducing these contractions, Xeomin® can temporarily reduce the lines between your eyebrows.

Xeomin® was proven effective in two randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trials of 547 healthy, adult patients. The average age of patients in the study was 46 years. Patients received 20 Units of Xeomin® and were classified as responders if they had a 2-grade improvement on a 4-point scale as assessed by the physician and patient. Using these criteria, treatment success was higher with Xeomin® than placebo on Day 30 in both studies (60% and 48% vs. 0% for placebo in both studies). Based on these trials, Xeomin® received FDA approval for use in glabellar lines in 2011.

If you are an adult with moderate to severe glabellar lines, Xeomin® may be right for you. Talk to your doctor to discuss the benefits and risks of treatment. Do not use Xeomin® if you are allergic to botulinum toxin or any of the other ingredients in Xeomin®. You should also not use Xeomin® if you have had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product or have a skin infection at the planned injection site.

During treatment, which usually takes about 10-20 minutes, your doctor will inject Xeomin® into the muscles in your forehead that cause frown lines between your eyebrows. No anesthesia is required; however, your physician may use a topical anesthetic or cold pack to reduce any discomfort.

You may begin to see visible smoothing as early as 3-4 days after injection. The median first onset of effect was less than a week. The maximum effect occurred at 30 days. The typical duration of effect was up to 3 months in clinical trials but may last significantly longer or shorter in individual patients.