FDA Approves Injection Designed To Melt Double-Chin Fat Away
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration says it approved an injection designed to melt away double-chin fat.
The agency Wednesday approved a drug called Kybella for adults with moderate or severe fat below the chin, or submental fat. It's the first approved drug for Kythera Biopharmaceuticals.
The drug is a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid, a chemical the FDA says is naturally produced by the body and helps it absorb fats. It destroys fat cells by breaking down the cell membrane.
Kythera plans to start selling Kybella in the second half of 2015, and says in regulatory filings that it thinks the injection could top $500 million in annual sales. The Westlake, California, company says deoxycholic acid is a safe ingredient already found several other approved drugs.
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