Irvine, Calif. — Allergan has opened a new research and development center in Bridgewater, N.J.
The 93,000-square foot facility will focus on clinical development and is expected to eventually house several hundred employees, according to a company statement.
"We will continue to increase our investment in R&D to fuel innovation and expect to spend over $1 billion in 2013. Our New Jersey clinical development site will allow us to benefit from the expertise of the many talented R&D professionals that reside in this state and, most importantly, bring novel medical therapies to patients across the world,” said David E.I. Pyott, Allergan board chairman, president and CEO.
Allergan has headquarters in California, a presence in more than 100 countries and approximately 10,500 employees worldwide.
Burlington, Mass. — Palomar Medical Technologies has announced the availability of the Palomar Vectus laser for laser hair removal.
The Palomar Vectus laser is designed for high-volume hair removal, providing uniform permanent hair reduction for the widest range of skin and hair types without sacrificing comfort, according to company reports.
The laser features an integrated Skintel Melanin Reader, allowing providers to offer laser hair removal treatments with optimized outcomes tailored to each client's skin type, sun exposure habits and ethnicity.
The laser also features an intelligent user interface, which allows providers to select treatment parameters based on the client's hair density, hair color, hair diameter and Fitzpatrick skin type or Skintel value, Palomar states.
The Vectus laser’s “large spot size allows us to treat male backs or female legs within 20 minutes, and its parameters are optimal for minimizing patient discomfort," says Josefina Royo de la Torre, M.D., an early user of the Palomar Vectus Laser at Instituto Medico Laser in Madrid.
Montreal — Valeant Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Medicis Pharmaceutical for $44 per share in cash, in a deal worth approximately $2.6 billion.
The price of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2013, represents a 39 percent premium to Medicis' closing share price on Aug. 31, according to company reports. The deal has been approved by each company's board of directors.
Valeant CEO Michael Pearson said the acquisition, which gives Valeant access to Medicis’ Solodyn (minocycline) and Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA), is a step toward strengthening its "presence in acne, actinic keratosis, aesthetic injectables and antivirals, among others." Mr. Pearson described Medicis' portfolio of branded products as "highly complementary" and that its "pipeline is a solid strategic fit."
According to Valeant, the pro forma net revenue for the combined company's dermatology and aesthetics businesses for 2012 is expected to exceed $1.7 billion in the United States. The combined company's commercial dermatology operations, which will be located in Scottsdale, Ariz., will operate under the name Medicis to take advantage of its recognition in the marketplace.
In addition, the company's dermatology research and development operations will be located in Laval, Quebec; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Petaluma, Calif., while corporate support functions will be primarily based in New Jersey. Including the Medicis deal, which sources cited in a Wall Street Journal report first alluded to in August 2011, Valeant's acquisitions this year total more than $3.5 billion, according to company reports.
Research and development "is not a good use of shareholder money" and Valeant prefers to buy companies with trusted products already on the market, Mr. Pearson says.
Mesa, Ariz. — Ulthera is now registered in Brazil to market and distribute its UltheraSystem, which combines ultrasound imaging with focused ultrasound therapy in a treatment known as Ultherapy.
The system is now cleared in the country to treat the face to encourage the natural formation of collagen and elastin in the skin, the company states.
“Bringing the Ulthera System into this already booming cosmetic market will greatly extend the global reach and popularity of noninvasive Ultherapy procedures,” says Matthew Likens, Ulthera president and CEO. “We anticipate — and have already experienced — high patient and physician demand for this efficacious treatment in Brazil, just as we have had in North America, Asia and Europe in our three years of commercialization to date.”
MedSystems, an importer and distributor of clinical and aesthetic medical equipment and technology, will be the exclusive distributor of the Ulthera System in Brazil. The Ulthera System is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a noninvasive treatment of the face to lift the eyebrow.
More than 1,000 Ulthera Systems have been sold around the world, and more than 100,000 treatments have been performed using it, according to Ulthera reports.
Yokneam, Israel — Lumenis has signed an agreement with Sound Surgical Technologies (SST) that will make Lumenis a distributor of SST’s VASER Shape MC1 System, a noninvasive body-shaping device for aesthetic practitioners.
The VASER Shape MC1 System, cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, includes specialized handpieces for ultrasound diathermy and zonal lymphatic massage. Used as a noninvasive alternative to liposuction, VASER Shape treatments can shape, firm and smooth the body by heating the fatty tissue layer up to 5 cm below the skin surface, reducing the appearance of cellulite and improving lymphatic drainage and local blood circulation, the company states.
“The last few years have seen strong growth in patient demand for body shaping treatments,” says Tzipi Ozer-Armon, Lumenis CEO. “The VASER Shape System’s noninvasive body contouring application complements our existing high-end aesthetic product offering.”
"We are very excited about the opportunity to enter the body contouring market by leveraging ourmarket-leading aesthetic distribution channel,” said Bob Di Silvio, Lumenis’ president of the Americas. “It is a privilege to team up with the professionals at Sound Surgical Technologies to deliver VASER Shape to the U.S. market."
Adds Dan Goldberger, CEO of Sound Surgical Technologies, “We are excited to partner with Lumenis to help increase the awareness of the VASER Shape product and expand into new markets in the U.S.”
