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Restylane® is an internationally leading product family for esthetic beauty treatments. The products are used for smoothing out wrinkles and lines, for filling out and shaping lips, defining facial contours and improving the quality of the skin. Restylane is the world’s most documented hyaluronic acid product for esthetic use and has been on the market for more than 13 years. Over 11 million Restylane treatments have been carried out all over the world.
Natural substance with long duration in the body
Restylane is a crystal-clear gel that is injected in small quantities in the skin using a thin, fine needle. The treatment is carried out by trained specialists, above all dermatologists, plastic surgeons and esthetic physicians. The Restylane gel consists of a minimally modified hyaluronic acid that is similar to the hyaluronic acid that is naturally found in the body. The contents can almost be described as sugar and water and Restylane is slowly broken down in a natural way in the body. A newly published clinical study shows that the effect of a Restylane treatment together with an additional follow-up treatment can last up to as long as 18 months.
When Restylane was launched in 1996 it was the first injectable non-animal hyaluronic acid product for esthetic use. Restylane quickly became popular and was in demand not only in Europe but also all over the world. Q-Med has constantly had close collaboration with its customers, who mainly consist of plastic surgeons, dermatologists and esthetic physicians. Training at both a general and an advanced level for customers and comprehensive clinical studies have led to great customer loyalty. Product development has been based on continuous analysis of the market’s needs. Restylane was the first injectable hyaluronic acid based product for esthetic use to be approved in the USA by the FDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The demand for non-surgical esthetic treatments has increased significantly since the launch of Restylane. According to ASAPS, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of non-surgical esthetic procedures increased by 654 percent between the years 1997 and 2008.
More new markets and continued product development
During 2009 a number of new products and product improvements were successfully launched, amongst other things two versions of the prizewinning Restylane® Injector, Restylane with lidocaine and a new needle produced exclusively for the whole product portfolio. Furthermore, Restylane became the first injectable hyaluronic acid product for esthetic use in China.
In January 2009 Q-Med obtained registration approval for Restylane in China. After the launch seminar in June 2009 Q-Med arranged a large number of training sessions for doctors. The number of hospitals offering Restylane treatments in China has steadily increased, and at the end of 2009 around 100 hospitals offered treatments with Restylane.
Restylane® Lidocaine and Restylane Perlane™ Lidocaine, which were introduced at the beginning of 2009, became a much asked for addition to the product portfolio. Lidocaine is an effective local anesthetic and 90 percent of the patients thought that treatment with Restylane Perlane Lidocaine was pleasanter compared with an injection without lidocaine. Registration of the lidocaine products continued during the year all around the world.
 The new 29G Thin Wall Needle, which is produced exclusively for Q-Med within the esthetics area, was launched in January 2010. The needle has a thinner wall and thereby a greater inner diameter compared with ordinary needles, and this facilitates injection as the gel moves through the needle more easily. A unique needle bevel design also minimizes patient discomfort as the needle causes minimal trauma in the tissue.
 The innovative Restylane® Injector, which was launched for the first time in January 2009 for the product Restylane Vital™ Light not only won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award – one of the world’s most well known design prizes – but also has been well received on the market. The injector was successfully launched during the year in Europe and parts of Asia. At the end of 2009 Q-Med obtained CE approval for a newer version of the injector, now with Restylane Vital™. Restylane Injector facilitates treatment for the user and makes it a pleasanter experience for the patient. Injection speed has also doubled through use of the Thin Wall Needle in the new injector.
Restylane Vital™ was approved in October for sales in South Korea, one of the most important markets in Asia. The Restylane Vital products continue to grow on the Russian market, where Restylane Vital Light and Restylane Injector were also registered in October.
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