Hydrelle: Elevess Has Been Re-Named

A promising dermal filler has been re-named.  Elevess has been re-christened as Hydrelle.

• Like Restylane and Juvederm, Hydrelle is a hyaluronic acid-based product.  This is a type of dermal filler that has a long track record of safety and success.
• Like Restylane and Juvederm, Hydrelle should last between 6 and 12 months.
• What makes Hydrelle different (and potentially superior) is that it contains a local anesthetic (specifically, lidocaine).  (Restylane and Juvederm do not.)
• Even with numbing creams and dental-type anesthetic shots, injecting certain areas of the face can still be uncomfortable.  With lidocaine, Hydrelle should have even less pain and discomfort at the point of injections.
• Could Hydrelle became the injectable of choice for needle-averse patients?!

Elevess (now Hydrelle) was approved in July 2007 by the U.S. F.D.A.  However, I am not entirely sure why it has remained relatively unknown in the United States compared to Restylane and Juvederm.  I had even blogged in August 2008 (http://www.pickartplasticsurgeryblog.com/2008/08/elevess-competi.html) about Elevess, and I was bullish about its prospects.

Elevess's/Hydrelle's problems probably have little to do with its medical efficacy but much more to do with business issues...

• Elevess's previous distributor, Artes Medical, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2008.
• The makers of Elevess, Anika Therapeutics, had to scramble to find a new distributor--Coapt Systems.
• The name Elevess sounded an awful lot like Evolence--yet another new filler (from Johnson & Johnson).  Anika has thus been forced to change Elevess to Hydrelle.

Here in Ventura, I have been using Elevess for approximately one year.  I really like the product, and I doubt that my patients will be bothered by its name change to Hydrelle.  In my hands, it is the ideal product for the corners of the mouth, which are particularly difficult to numb up with traditional creams and shots.

The Doctors on day-time television are apparently impressed enough to run a special episode on 9/7/09. Check out the episode.  Hopefully, there will be some good information, and $200 coupons will be awarded! 

Comments

[Yoo Hoo]

This product was dropped by Galderma, and was lightly pushed by Artes as there were many adverse events from the start! JNJ I am sure looked at this product and quickly turned away...I would not let someone inject me with this. TOO MANY PROBLEMS with the sulfite reaction--other HA's are safer!

[KV]

DO NOT USE HYDRELLE. As noted throughout the internet there has been many adverse reactions. I know I am one of those individuals that have been afflicted by the product. Spoke to Coapt and they are not concerned....it seems there are (to paraphrased) not enough of us who are having problems to be concerned with the adverse reactions that are being experienced. Please, do not use this product - I have and others have experienced hard lumps and disfigurement and now seeing more hard lumps on other parts of my face where Hydrelle was injected. Adverse reactions have an onset anywhere from 3, 4, or 5 weeks after injection...DON'T USE....

[Michael Pickart]

Dear KV,

So sorry to hear about your awful results. Honestly, your experience sounds terrible.

However, are you sure that the problem is Hydrelle? Or was the cause actually poor technique? Have you had successful injectable treatments with other products from the doctor or nurse who performed your Hydrelle?

I have a number of patients who claim,...

Botox doesnt work. I have had it, and my wrinkles didnt change.
Juvederm causes nodules.
I am allergic to Radiesse.

But, respectively, I answer,...

Botox works on everybody. Frankly, its a poison! It has to work!! I wonder whether it was injected in the right place and whether you werent under-dosed.
Juvederm is actually the softest filler. It is least likely to cause nodules. Was it injected in clumps? Or was it injected smoothly in thin lines and thin sheets.
How can you be allergic to Radiesse? Its just calcium--the same stuff thats in your bones. Radiesse is very safe and very inert. Are you sure that you werent allergic to the numbing medication, to the gloves worn by the practitioner, to the post-injection moisturizer, etc.

KV, I dont mean to be flippant, and I certainly dont mean to be rude. Really, I do hear your frustration. There are just so many factors that contribute to poor results, only one of which is the product itself. The vast majority of complications are actually secondary to the injector, not the injectable.

The FDA-approved hyaluronans (Juvederm, Restylane, Prevelle, Hydrelle, etc.) are very, very safe.In particular, Anika Therapeutics (the makers of Hydrelle) have demonstrated a good track record with their other products.

I really appreciate that you have shared your experience with me and my readers. I will definitely question the researchers at Anika Therapeutics and the sales-marketing force at Coapt Systems.

Thank you,
Mike Pickart

Michael C. Pickart, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Pickart Plastic Surgery, Inc.

428 Poli St.,#2C, Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 648-4567 | fax (805) 641-0811

To: info@pickartplasticsurgery.com

[KV]

Dr. Pickart....Thanks for your response but I have been injected with other fillers without any complications or issues as the ones that I am experiencing with Hydrelle. Please be aware that I am not the only individual that has had a bad experience with Hydrelle and won't be the last. I am not allergic to any of the items that you mentioned as they have been used when the other fillers were injected. Hydrelle is the issue and I feel that your patients as well as others need to have the facts that this can in fact (3 to 5 weeks after injection) potentially cause adverse reactions. An informed consumer is the best and I would feel that I let other women and men down if I did not share my experience with them so they (and not you - not meaning to sound flippant either) can make an informed decision on whether to get this product injected. Remember also that some drugs and devices can be passed by the FDA and later found to not be safe. Thanks, KV