Posted November 05, 2009 in Blog, Uncategorized
The porcine (pig) based collagen product from Israel, EVOLENCE, will no longer be available. Johnson and Johnson announced yesterday that they will no longer sell the product because of poor sales. Since buying the rights to EVOLENCE from the Israeli company Colbar, J & J is out a little over $1 million. This week, Ortho Dermatologics notified plastic surgeons using EVOLENCE that marketing and manufacturing of the wrinkle filler would be discontinued, effective immediately.
According to the official notification, the company may “talk to interested parties about the possibility of EVOLENCE® market re-entry under different ownership.”
They also assured physicians that EVOLENCE was, and remains, an “effective option” for wrinkle reduction, with a “favorable safety profile.” I have used the product in a handful of patients. My patients have had excellent results with the product without any adverse effects. It will still be available (while it lasts) in my practice for those patients who either prefer it or who are unable to have hyaluronic acid fillers because of allergic reactions.
Was EVOLENCE® destined to fail?
An Israeli company called ColBar LifeScience was responsible for development of Evolence (they even had rabbi’s approve it as Kosher because the pigs used to produce the collagen product were not allowed to have their hoofs touch the floor), and they had been marketing the drug outside the U.S. since 2004.
When Johnson & Johnson acquired the company and received FDA clearance for Evolence in the summer of 2008, they were optimistic about the filler because of its unique composition of naturally sourced porcine collagen. Evolence was radically different than the popular hyaluronic acid offerings that dominate the market; it had all the benefits of the old collagen fillers, lasted longer, and required no allergy test.
However, some experts predicted a struggle for the animal-based collagen filler. The Wall Street Journal quoted J&J consultant Kenneth Beer saying, “they couldn’t have picked a worse time [to enter the market.]” Others expressed concern about the drug’s source: “Porcine products historically haven’t done well, and many people prefer lab-grown products,” said analyst Ronny Gal in a 2008 report.
It might be a stretch, but could it be fear of the swine flu and all things porcine that killed Evolence? Doubt it, it’s the economy.
Dr Persky is located in Encino, California but services all of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Including, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Agoura Hills and more.
