Kybella: demand is crazy for drug that melts chin fat

Demand is crazy for drug that melts away double chin fat

By Lindsay Putnam

June 23, 2015 | 2:34pm

Demand is crazy for drug that melts away double chin fat

Double chins may be on the decline thanks to a new injectable drug. Photo: Shutterstock

Double chins, beware.

The unsightly facial feature that has plagued people of all shapes and sizes has finally met its match, thanks to a newly approved remedy.

Kybella, a fat-melting injectable drug created by Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc., was approved by the FDA in April and became available June 15 to dermatologists and plastic surgeons who completed training at the drug company’s Westlake Village, Calif., offices.

Kybella is made from deoxycholic acid, which is a chemical produced in the body to help absorb fats. When injected into the fat below the chin, known as submental fat, it destroys the fat cells. Patients can receive up to 50 injections in one single treatment, with up to six treatments administered no less than one month apart.

“I’ve never seen a demand like this, except for Botox,” Derek Jones, a dermatologist on the faculty at UCLA and lead investigator in the clinical FDA trials of Kybella, told the Hollywood Reporter. “We have a waiting list of people who have been calling for months.”

The brains behind Botox have taken notice. Allergan, the pharmaceutical company that owns the wrinkle-smoothing drug, is set to acquire Kythera Biopharmaceuticals this week for $2.1 billion.

It’s a worthwhile investment. Though pricing on Kybella hasn’t yet been released, professionals estimate that it will cost between $500 and $600 per treatment. Manhattan plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso believes patients should expect to make two or three total visits, spaced a month apart.

Comparatively, liposuction for double chins routinely costs between $1,500 and $2,000.

According to Kybella’s website, 79 percent of patients treated with Kybella reported satisfaction with the appearance of their face and chin, as well as a marked improvement in self-perception.

Possible side effects including swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, redness, difficulty swallowing and nerve injury in the jaw that cases facial muscle weakness. If injected incorrectly, it could destroy the wrong kinds of cells — including skin cells.

“Kybella should not be used outside of the submental area,” warns the FDA — not that everyone is heeding the warning.

“Now that it’s FDA-approved, approved doctors are allowed to use it ‘off label,’ which means we can attempt it with discretion on other places,” dermatologist Peter Kopelson reveals to the Hollywood Reporter. “I suspect it will be for targeted use, like love handles, under-eye fat pockets and fat above the knees — something even young women complain about.”