What is Nabota?

Nabota Type A botulinum toxin is indicated for the treatment of dystonia-associated blepharospasm, including benign essential blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm or VIIth nerve disorders in patients aged 12, for the correction of strabism in patients over 12 years of age for the treatment of spasmodic torticollis or cervical dystonia in adults, for the treatment of dynamic deformity of the equine foot due to spasticity in paediatric patients of cerebral palsy and for the temporary treatment of glabellar lines associated with corrugator muscle activity and/or procuring in adult patients under the age of 65. It is also indicated in the management of focal spasticity, including the treatment of spasticity associated with stroke in adults.

What types of treatments is it suitable for?

Nabota's function is to bind receptors to the distal extremity of the nerve by entering nerve endings. In this way, it is able to inhibit the natural secretion of acetylcholine by limiting nerve conduction. When Nabota is injected by intramuscular injection, it causes localized muscle paralysis, as the puncture will be carried out in precise areas called injection points, thus causing localized muscle paralysis by chemical denervation action. In this condition, the muscles themselves are chemically denerved and weaker, but do not lose their ability to develop, so they can generate new nerves and nerve stimulation over time, for this reason, any treatment with botulinum toxin is not definitive.

Clinical studies have shown that in subjects with glabellar lines when treated with five times intramuscular injection of 0.1 mL (4 U/0.1 mL) for a total of 20 IU of Nabota, we had improvements between the first 2 to the first 5 days of the first treatment, in some cases up to 14 days. From this, it can be seen that the improvement of glabellar frown lines at the maximum frown was observed in 85.4% of subjects 2 days after administration to these people. Improvement of resting glabellar lines was observed in 51.2% of subjects, 2 days after administration and the percentage of subjects showing improvement increased over time, with no particular side effects other than those normally found in treatment with botulinum type A toxin. Studies have further shown that Nabota is safe and effective for the aesthetic treatment of glabellar frowning lines.

What are the precautions to consider?

As with all neurotoxin treatments, there are precautions to be scrupulously observed to avoid contamination and reduce the risk of botulism and Nabota ineffectiveness.  Unseeded vials should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees centigrade, if the drug has been activated and diluted with the appropriate solution, it should be administered within 24 hours, well stored in the refrigerator between 2 and 8 degrees centigrade.

All vials, including vials that have passed the expiration date or those in direct contact with the product, must be discarded and disposed of as if they were a medical waste. If the country provides for the inactivation of the toxin, it is recommended to use diluted hypochlorite in a proportion between 0.5 and 1% before disposal.

What are the unwanted effects?

If after treatment you experience illnesses, particular symptoms or adverse reactions at the skin or respiratory level, it is better to immediately call your doctor, especially if you find it difficult to swallow or talk after treatment or have difficulty breathing or muscle weaknesses. These episodes can occur within a few hours or weeks of treatment.