One Filler Down

We are used to hearing announcements for new fillers, but we now have an announcement of the disappearance of an FDA approved filler. Artes Medical, the company that makes Artefill, announced its intention to file for bankruptcy. Artefill was the first "permanent" filler approved in the US, although silicone, now available in a medical grade, has been used off-label for this purpose.

One of the problems with a permanent filler is that if the results are not to the patient's liking, they may be very difficult or impossible to correct. This contributed to the reluctance of many of us to adopt this filler. Furthermore, some have questioned whether the filler you need now may still be appropriate in ten or fifteen years. Finally there were some problems with a precursor product producing lumps. The company claimed to have fixed this problem and this may be the case. The physicians that I know who have used it have not reported any problems. Artefill may have been introduced at a bad time or it may have been a bad idea from the start.

Gerald N. Bock MD

California Skin and Laser Center

Stockton & Lodi, CA

Comments

[Jane Doe]

The problem for Artes Medical was not that it had a bad product (its predecessors have been used in Canada and Europe for over a decade). Rather, its problem seems to be poor management and weak promotion and PR of ArteFill. Hopefully some other company will revive this product once the economy improves.

The previous product used in Canada and Europe had problems with granuloma (lump) formation. I know at least one Canadian dermatologist who stopped using it for this reason.
GNB