Enzymatic Injections Show Durable Improvement in Buttock Cellulite
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Injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum–aaes (CCH) for the treatment of moderate to severe cellulite in women's buttocks demonstrated excellent durability of response at 6 months follow-up in an ongoing, 5-year, phase 3b, open-label extension study, Michael H. Gold, MD, said at Innovations in Dermatology: Virtual Spring Conference 2021. However, outcomes in that study, as well as in the earlier pivotal trials, were assessed via physician and patient subjective assessments of aesthetic appearance. In a separate presentation at the conference, Michael S. Kaminer, MD, presented a different study evaluating the objective quantifiable effects of CCH on buttock cellulite dimple volume using three-dimensional imaging. The results, indicating that smaller cellulite dimples responded better than larger dimples, he noted, were unexpected.
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@manu n 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved subcutaneous injections of CCH (marketed under the brand name QWO) for treatment of cellulite in women's buttocks on the basis of the randomized RELEASE-1 and -2 trials. But while this is a new indication for CCH, it is not a new drug. The medication has been approved for years for treatment of fibrotic band contracture disorders, namely Dupuytren's contracture and Peyronie's disease. The mechanism of action for treatment of cellulite involves a process dubbed enzymatic subcision, in which CCH breaks down mature collagen and stimulates new collagen formation and fat redistribution in an effort to achieve smoother skin contour.