When the pharmaceutical giant Allergan got FDA approval in 1989 to use Botulinum toxin for clinical use, it represented a medical breakthrough: the first time microbial bacteria was approved for injection into the human body. Better known as the protein that makes up the extremely deadly disease botulism, it would now be marketed as Botox. Now, 30 years later, it is one of the most popular clinical treatments in the world, with applications both cosmetic and therapeutic.
To commemorate 30 years of Botox, two executives from parent Allergan told Cheddar how the brand most commonly known as a wrinkle treatment has morphed into a miracle drug of sorts, with 11 separate therapeutic applications, from overactive bladder to excessive sweating to chronic migraines. More than 100 million vials of Botox have been manufactured worldwide.
"The majority of sales in the U.S. are therapeutic," said Jag Dosanjh, senior vice president of specialty therapeutics at Allergan. "And the markets are growing."
The FDA approved Botox for use in treatment of chronic migraine sufferers back in 2010, and that has become one of its biggest markets now, Dosanjh said. Since then, it has also been approved for urinary incontinence and crow's feet wrinkles. And there's more applications currently being studied, including a possible treatment for major depressive order, according to Dr. Mitchell Brin, Allergan's chief scientific officer for Botox and neurotoxins.
"There are significant regulatory hurdles," Brin said, though that's typical anytime a pharmaceutical company is "breaking new ground."
If you're not a migraine sufferer or excessive sweater (Botox is also a popular treatment for underarm perspiration), you probably know Botox mostly for its popularity as an anti-aging procedure. Kris Jenner is giving Botox treatments as a Christmas gift this year, and doctors report a dramatic increase in people under 30 asking about injections.
Dosanjh and Brin confirmed to Cheddar that millennials are a growing market for Botox, which is perhaps surprising given the generational trend toward body positivity.
Thirty years ago, it may have been hard to imagine that injecting literal botulism toxins into one's face would become so popular. But Botox's efficacy, safety, and status as the market leader has proven it to be a resilient, multi-faceted product.
"If you can connect with the patient in the right way, because the unmet need is so significant... there's still a lot of opportunity," said Dosanjh.
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A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
