Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc’s (NASDAQ:KYTH) Kybella has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Kybella is a treatment that involves injecting a shot in the neck to remove a person’s double chin. The shot is identical to deoxycholic acid, which is already found in the body. This acid destroys the cell membrane and removes fat.
The FDA has only approved Kybella for use when removing double-chins, also called submental fat. A single treatment to destroy chin fat can include up to 50 shots. Patients can receive up to six treatments for the removal of a double chin and each treatment must be at least a month apart from each other.
Kybella was approved following two clinical trials that included 1,022 participants. All of the participants were adults and those given the treatment over a placebo were noticed to have more significant reduction in their double chins.
Side effects that could occur due to Kybella include swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, redness and areas of hardness in the treatment area. There is also a risk of uneven smile or facial muscle weakness as a result of the treatment.
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