The FDA has approved Asclera (polidocanol) injection on March 30, 2010 to sclerose uncomplicated spider veins (varicose veins less than or equal to 1mm in diameter) and uncomplicated reticular veins (varicose veins 1 to 3 mm in diameter) in the lower extremity, making it the first sclerosant to be approved in over 60 years.
Once injected, Asclera acts by damaging the cell lining of blood vessels, causing them to close and eventually be replaced by other types of tissue. Asclera is safe and effective when used as directed.
Dennis Condon, president of BioForm Medical, a Merz Aesthetics company, said: “We are very excited about the approval of this treatment, expanding our aesthetics portfolio with products that really matter to patients.”
Commenting on the news of the acquisition of BioForm Medical by Merz Aesthetics, Julius Few, founder of The Few Institute for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Chicago, and chair of ASAPS Cosmetic Medicine Committee, said: “The union of BioForm Medical and Merz Aesthetics comes at an interesting time, with the field of aesthetics growing through increased public acceptance in procedures overall, as well as an increase in the number of products and treatments that address all aspects of body image.”