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. 2023 Jul 1;102(S1):e32371.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000032371.

Early development history of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA)

Alan B Scott  1 , Dennis Honeychurch  2 , Mitchell F Brin  3   4
Affiliations

Early development history of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA)

Alan B Scott et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

The development of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) began in the 1970s as Dr. Scott was attempting to identify an injectable substance that would weaken the extraocular eye muscles in patients with strabismus as an alternative to muscle surgery. This search led to botulinum toxin type A, which was tested and developed over the next 15 years. As botulinum toxin type A moved from an experimental drug to a product in need of licensing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the first manufacturing methods and quality control procedures were developed for Oculinum, the botulinum toxin type A product that would eventually be sold to Allergan and become known as Botox.

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Conflict of interest statement

This manuscript was funded by AbbVie. AbbVie was involved in the manuscript concept and participated in writing, reviewing, and approval of the final version. No honoraria or payments were made for authorship. AB Scott and D Honeychurch have nothing to disclose. MF Brin is a full-time employee of AbbVie and holds stock in the company.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
. Dennis Honeychurch in Oakland, California, ~1985. Photo provided by Dennis Honeychurch.
Figure 2
Figure 2
. Mitchell Brin (left) and Alan Scott (right) at a meeting in San Francisco, 2017. Photo provided by Mitchell Brin.
Figure 3
Figure 3
. Top: Oculinum research vial, ~1987. Oculinum commercial vial ~1990. Photos provided by Mitchell Brin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Drachman DB. Botulinum toxin as a tool for research on the nervous system. In: Simpson LL, (ed). Neuropoisons. New York: Plenum Press. 1971:325–347.
    1. Scott AB, Rosenbaum A, Collins CC. Pharmacologic weakening of extraocular muscles. Invest Ophthalmol. 1973;12:924–7. - PubMed
    1. Scott AB. Botulinum toxin injection into extraocular muscles as an alternative to strabismus surgery. Ophthalmology. 1980;87:1044–9. - PubMed
    1. Scott AB. Botulinum toxin injection of eye muscles to correct strabismus. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1981;79:734–70. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brin MF, Fahn S, Moskowitz C, et al. Localized injections of botulinum toxin for the treatment of focal dystonia and hemifacial spasm. Mov Disord. 1987;2:237–54. - PubMed

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