Botox or Relatox - which botulinum toxin drug is better?

Today, the demand for botulinum toxin injections continues to increase, as a result, more and more new companies from different countries are included in the competitive race for its production - and there is nothing surprising in the emergence of a domestic production of neurotoxin. Relatox is actively promoting itself on the Russian market today as a more affordable alternative to Botox, and cosmetologists are increasingly offering their patients injections of it.

At the same time, the patients themselves naturally have questions about which of these drugs is better, safer and gives a more pronounced and lasting effect. Moreover, Relatox is far from the only Botox analogue, and the choice today, in fact, is quite large.

Let's try to understand the properties, advantages and disadvantages of Relatox in order to understand whether it is worth changing the usual Botox for it, and if the patient has never injected before, then is it worth starting with Relatox. Compare these two drugs, and also consider the reviews of those who have already used both Botox and Relatox, and, therefore, can report their own results and feelings.

What is known today about Relatox

Relatox is a drug of the Russian pharmaceutical company NPO Microgen, known primarily for the production of various vaccines. The company announced the release of a neurotoxin-based drug in 2014.

On a note

As in other stories with foreign counterparts, the rationale for the costly development and production of Relatox was the stated need for it, as a tool for the treatment of certain neurological diseases, including children. On the one hand, this is true: before the release of Relatox, Botox, Mioblock and Kseomin were used for some severe childhood pathologies, which are quite expensive foreign botulinum toxin preparations. On the other hand, it was obvious that after successful development and testing, the main group of consumers will be the patients of cosmetology clinics - they provide ten times greater sales volumes of any botulinum toxin drug than patients in neurological rooms.

To date, studies of the effectiveness and safety of Relatox necessary for its use in medical practice on the territory of the Russian Federation have been completed, the drug is commercially available and used, including in various children's, neurological, psychiatric and cosmetic clinics.

Relatox is available in the form of a dry lyophilisate, packaged in glass bottles and intended for reconstitution with physiological saline (that is, for dissolution in it). Commercially available drugs with a dose of 50 and 100 units. The active substance of the drug is a complex of botulinum toxin type A with hemagglutinating proteins. Botulinum toxin itself is released from this complex in muscle tissue.

Relatox is available in dosages of 50 and 100 units (units of action) in the form of a lyophilisate for the preparation of an injection solution.

Auxiliary components of the drug are gelatin (6 mg) and maltose (12 mg).

For comparison: Botox is also produced by Allergan in Ireland and the United States in the form of a dry lyophilisate; today, bottles of 100 and 200 IU of the active substance are available for sale. The activity of units of both drugs is approximately the same. The active ingredient of Botox is similar to that in Relatox, and serum albumin is used as a stabilizer, in addition, the drug contains sodium chloride.

On a note

On the example of another Botox analogue - the Dysport drug - it was proved that the addition of human albumin to the lyophilisate enhances the effectiveness of the drug without reducing its safety.That is, it is possible to obtain the necessary cosmetic effect precisely due to albumin with a lower dose of the drug, which makes it more economical. Given these data, albumin began to be added to Botox.

The manufacturer of Relatox claims that a special technology for the purification of neurotoxin after its isolation from a bacterial culture (gel chromatography and baromembrane separation) made it possible to obtain a preparation in which the content of bacterial ballast proteins is 2 times lower than in Botox. According to purification standards, Botox can contain up to 5 ng of such proteins, in Relatox - only 2.5 ng (per unit). As we will see later, due to this, Relatox is considered less allergenic.

Comparison of Botox and Relatox Effectiveness

According to specially conducted studies, it was concluded that the drugs are equally safe to use. In addition, the results of tests of Relatox in pediatric neurology showed its effect, similar to that of Botox. In particular, the drug with the same effectiveness contributed to:

Elimination of involuntary muscle contraction with hemifacial spasm and blepharospastic contractions of the circular muscle of the eye;
The weakening of severe cramps with cervical dystonia;
Weakening of the strength of the calf muscle contractions in children with cerebral palsy and horse foot syndrome.

Today, Relatox is already widely used in cosmetology to eliminate various dynamic facial wrinkles - eyebrows, between the lips and nose, in the corners of the eyes, frontal. Studies show the similar effectiveness of the same amounts of Botox and Relatox, as well as the identical duration of the cosmetic effect from the use of these funds.

Relatox is used in cosmetology to eliminate facial wrinkles. Wrinkles in the forehead, between the eyebrows, around the eyes and around the lips are most often corrected.

On a note

It is important to understand that Relatox studies were conducted only in Russia, and their reliability has not yet been confirmed by WHO. Outside the Russian Federation, this drug is not sold, not used and is not being investigated.

Some differences exist in the reviews of patients who were injected either individually with one or the other drug, or after using one remedy, the following procedure was carried out by another. In particular, there are some reports that the effect of Relatox lasts less time than that of Botox. However, it is impossible to draw final conclusions based on a couple of such reviews, since there are many positive ones.

Review No. 1 (from messages on the forum):

“Relatox set itself for the third time, the first time did Botox, the second time stabbed Dysport. I didn’t really like that the injection sites were scratched. After Dysport and Botox, this was not. Very strange reaction. Plus, swelling was in one eye. When all this passed, it turned out that the drug did not take. Wrinkles remained, though not as strong as before the first Botox. Apparently, Dysport has not yet let go. So for some reason, the Russian drug did not suit me. I’ll note the conscientiousness of the doctor: when I came with a complaint, she returned the money to me ... "

Review No. 2:

“I tried this time to experiment and injected domestic Relatox instead of Botox. Pricked his forehead and side of his eyes. The result is excellent, the wrinkles on the third day disappeared almost completely, although I am already 50 years old. There was no papule, no headache, no allergies, which girls sometimes write about. She also saved, as Botox would have cost more ... "

The photo shows the result of using Relatox to eliminate wrinkles in the forehead and between the eyebrows. In the upper picture (before injections) with active facial expressions, wrinkles are pronounced. In the bottom picture (2 weeks after the procedure), when you try to wrinkle your forehead, wrinkles do not appear.

Theoretically, some negative effects during Relatox injections can be justified by the fact that Botox contains serum albumin, which increases the severity of the effect from each injection, but there is no albumin in Relatox. However, since no Botox and Relatox qualitative comparisons of botulinum toxins have been carried out, and there is no unequivocal conclusive evidence of Relatox's lesser effectiveness, it would be premature to state it as a fact.

It is also useful to read: Botox injections in the forehead

Which drug is safer to use

The data available today allow us to conclude that the safety of Botox and Relatox injections is approximately equally high. Injections of both drugs are contraindicated in the same cases, and the general set and frequency of side effects during their use are also similar.

Meanwhile, there are some arguments in favor of Relatox, as a safer means. The content of bacterial bacterial proteins in it is lower than in Botox, which reduces the risk of allergies, but in fact this difference is very small, and it practically does not affect the actual number of hypersensitivity reactions.

Botox also includes albumin, which is more active as an allergen than gelatin from Relatox (although the latter, in very rare cases, can also cause allergies). However, this difference is only hypothetical: a higher frequency of allergies to Botox due to the presence of albumin in it was not noted.

On a note

Many particularly impressionable patients worry that the human albumin in Botox preparations is a foreign agent, “part of a foreign organism”, and only because of this they prefer Relatox, in which there is no albumin. Such fears can only be considered unreasonable squeamishness - albumin does not present any danger like a foreign body.

It is impossible not to mention that in the reviews, some patients complain about the painfulness of Relatox injections. It can be explained by the fact that in some cases, doctors restore the lyophilisates of neurotoxins with distilled water instead of saline. If Botox is restored in this way, the isotonicity of its plasma and intercellular fluid is maintained due to the sodium chloride content in the lyophilisate itself. Relatox does not have such a component, and therefore, being restored with distilled water, it will be hypotonic with respect to blood plasma. This can cause, inter alia, pain.

Strong pain with the administration of Relatox can occur in people with a low pain threshold, as well as in cases where distilled water is used to dilute the drug instead of the recommended sodium chloride solution.

On a note

It is proved that when diluting most botulinum toxin preparations with distilled water, the frequency of pain in patients with injections increases.

However, again, about pain from Relatox injections is known only from the words of individual patients, and in the results of mass studies there is no such data. At the same time, there are reports of similar pain after Botox injections. - Apparently, the probability of such reactions to a certain extent depends on the sensitivity of the patient himself.

What is more expensive: Botox, or Relatox

Perhaps the price is the most pronounced difference between Botox and Relatox.

Relatox is marketed as a cheaper analogue of Botox. It is relative cheapness that ensures its active promotion in the domestic market and its growing popularity.

It is also useful to read: What to do after Botox: recommendations for the coming days after the procedure

So, the price of a bottle of Botox for 100 UNITS in retail ranges from 11,000-12,000 rubles. The cost of Relatox for the same 100 units is 9000-10000 rubles.In most cases, clinics purchase the drug in medium and large quantities with significant savings, but the price difference is about the same. Trying to buy the drug on your own does not make sense (and it’s difficult) - the drug will be more expensive, but the doctor will still prick it.

Typically, one bottle of the drug is spent on several patients at once, which can significantly save.

Feedback:

“My experience is not so big. Pricked once Relatox, this is Russian Botox. The effect was more than satisfied. At a price of 4,200 for 17 units, Botox offered the same for 5,000. I won’t say how much it stayed, I did not follow it strictly. Maybe a year later a wrinkle began to appear. Right now two years have passed, everything has become the same as before the injections, it is necessary to repeat. I think that this is a good result, which you can afford for this money ... "

Oksana, Zelenograd

At the same time, different mark-ups for botulinum toxin preparations may be established in various online stores and pharmacies, since they are not included in the list of vital and necessary medicines. There are even situations when one seller will have Relatox more expensive than another - Botox. However, doctors and clinics purchase drugs from large, trusted suppliers, and prices for Relatox injections are lower on average.

So, the price of Botox injections, depending on the city, ranges from 250-350 rubles per 1 unit. Relatox injections cost about 250-300 rubles per 1 unit. The difference in the cost of injections can be partly determined by the qualifications of the doctor (at the cost of his time) and the prestige of the clinic.

Comparison of Relatox with other botulinum toxin preparations

There are no marked differences in efficacy and safety between Relatox and other botulinum toxin preparations - Dysport, Xeomin, Mioblock - no. Numerous placebo-controlled and comparative tests showed that the safety profiles of these drugs are almost identical to those of Botox, due to which they are very similar to Relatox. Possible differences in the duration of the effect, diffusion into the muscles during injection and the incidence of side effects are small and are more determined by the individual sensitivity of the body to the individual components of a drug than by compositional differences.

A significant difference between Relatox and Xeomin is that the active substance of Xeomin is pure botulinum toxin, and not its complex with agglutinating proteins. It was assumed that such a complete purification of the toxin would further reduce the already low frequency of allergic reactions in patients. However, the experiments did not show a significant difference between the number of side effects from the use of Xeomin and drugs with a complex of botulinum toxin-hemagglutinin.

The photo shows foreign drugs of botulinum toxin similar to Relatox: Botox, Dysport, Kseomin. The effectiveness and safety of all these drugs is similar.

Relatox and Mioblock also differ significantly in the active substance, however, they do not have to be compared at all, since Mioblock is more often used specifically for the treatment of nervous pathologies than for cosmetic purposes. Its scope is mainly limited to cases of immunity to allergies to type A botulinum toxin or allergies to it (the active substance in the myoblock is type B botulinum toxin).

Feedback

“I had never stabbed myself from wrinkles before, I did botulinum therapy for the first time. The doctor suggested several options, I chose the domestic Relatox. I was satisfied with everything, no side effects. She herself did everything according to the instructions — she didn’t lie down, didn’t drink alcohol, didn’t go for a massage, didn’t steam in the bathhouse. All my friends said that I was clearly noticeably younger. Myofascinal massage did only six months later. After the massage, Relatox released, so now I have to stab again ... "

Tatyana, Moscow

What is the best choice in the end?

By and large, if you still do not have experience with botulinum toxin injections, then you can choose any one between the two drugs (Relatox and Botox) - the result from their use is very likely to be the same.

However, when choosing, the following nuances should be considered:

If you have already injected one drug and everything suits you, then there must be a serious enough reason for switching to another. The most common situation is when the patient injected Botox, and then decides to switch to Relatox for some savings on procedures. Such a transition is undesirable due to the fact that it is not known how the body will react to a similar but different drug;
If the doctor advises any one of the drugs, you should listen to his opinion. The specialist makes recommendations based on his experience and those or other expectations from the product for a particular patient. Following his instructions will be a safer and more effective solution;
Most doctors prefer to inject Botox specifically, as a drug that has been more studied and gives a more predictable result. This is also useful to consider in advance.

It is important to understand that doctors prefer Botox not because it is more expensive and supposedly allows you to earn more. For his work, the cosmetologist takes the same price with Botox injections, and with the introduction of Relatox. That is, from an economic point of view, the doctor doesn’t care if the patient is injected with Relatox or Botox. If a specialist recommends this or that remedy, it means that he has other reasons for such a recommendation, and these reasons should be taken into account.

Changing one drug of botulinum toxin to another makes sense in cases where one drug was used, but did not give the desired result, or caused any undesirable consequences. If one drug completely satisfies the patient, then changing it only for the sake of experiment is undesirable.

If you have personal experience using Relatox, be sure to share the information by leaving your review at the bottom of this page (in the comments box).