According to Merz Pharmaceuticals in Greensboro, North Carolina, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its drug Xeomin for the treatment of adults with cervical dystonia or blepharospasm, disorders characterized by involuntary, sustained muscle contractions.
Merz Pharmaceuticals says the FDA approved the drug, with the generic name incobotulinumtoxinA, based on results from two clinical trials of adults diagnosed with either cervical dystonia or blepharospasm. The company notes that Xeomin does not require refrigeration prior to reconstitution, which should simplify distribution and storage of the drug.
Of the dystonia disorders, cervical dystonia is among the most common, It involves the involuntary contractions of the neck muscles, causing the head to twist, turn, or be pulled forward or back. Blepharospasm is a type of dystonia characterized by spasms affecting the eyes. It usually begins with uncontrollable blinking, but can lead to permanent closing of the eyelids and functional blindness.
Merz Pharmaceuticals cites an epidemiology study conducted in Rochester, Minnesota that estimates the class of focal dystonia (affecting one part of the body) that includes involuntary neck and eyelid movements occurs in 295 per million people.
Photo: ZaldyImg/Flickr
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