Just when the options in injectable filler therapy continue to expand (three entered the commercial market this year alone), a casualty amongst them has occurred. At the end of November 2008, Artes Medical (the manufacturer of ArteFill injectable filler) ceased operations and has filed for bankruptcy. Posts on the internet have cited the downturn in the economy and corporate mismanagement as the reasons for financial failure. All sales reps have been terminated and the corporate website is no longer operational.
Artes Medical as a company was formed in 1999 and subsequent extensive clinical trials resulted in ArteFill being approved in the U.S. as an injectable filler in 2007. ArteFill is the combination of PMMA (plastic) microbeads and bovine collagen, resulting in the longest-lasting injectable filler that has current FDA approval. Lasting as long as 15 to 18 months after injection, ArteFill’s longevity was nearly twice that of any other injectable filler. Its use was restricted to the nasolabial folds and facial areas other than the lips due to the potential risk of irregularities and nodular reactions. Its use required a skin test weeks prior to injection due to the bovine collagen content.
While their may have been corporate reasons for the company’s demise, the ArteFill product (despite its long-lasting effects) had several disadvantages compared to other commercially-available injectable fillers. Its high cost priced it out of affordability for many patients. Cosmetic office injection treatments are a budget issue for many and a high initial cost, even if it lasts longer, will eliminate a lot of the market potential. Because it could not be used in the lip, the second most common area for injectable fillers, another segment of the patient market was eliminated. These two factors narrowed the market potential for this injectacble product considerably. In my practice, less than 1% of all injectable filler treatments were done with ArteFill.
We may see ArteFill back in the future (and I would be surprised if we didn’t), either as a new company or part of another companies product line. But for now, ArteFill remains unavailable for the foreseeable future.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana