Daxi, the New, Long-Lasting Neurotoxin, Is Awaiting FDA Approval — Here’s What Dermatologists Think

Neurotoxin injections can help with a bounty of concerns, both cosmetic and medical. It relaxes muscles to reduce the appearance of fine lines for smoother skin texture, and it can even target and curb excessive sweating and migraines. The biggest drawback to investing in any neurotoxin, though, is that its benefits only last for a short period of time (i.e. a few months) before the body metabolizes the injectable. Should you decide to re-up every time it wears off, the basic upkeep can get tiresome and — most importantly — expensive. 

But we come with good news: There’s a new neurotoxin on the horizon that could completely change the aesthetic treatment game: meet, DaxibotulinumtoxinA, a.k.a., Daxi.

“DaxibotulinumtoxinA is poised to disrupt the neurotoxin market. The consumer experience for neuromodulator products has remained unchanged since botulinum toxin type A treatments were first introduced over 30 years ago,” writes a representative from Daxi’s parent biotech company, Revance, in an email to Allure. “We believe that a long-lasting neuromodulator product will fill a significant, unmet need in both aesthetics and therapeutics.”

But before you go book an appointment with your dermatologist, you should know that this new neurotoxin is still pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We turned to the experts to learn everything and anything about Daxi before it hits the clinics, so read on for the details.

Meet the experts:

What is Daxi, and how does it work?

Sabine Lovell, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Muse Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia, explains that Daxi is a novel botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) and is in clinical development for therapeutic and aesthetic purposes. Similar to other neurotoxin treatments such as Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau, Daxi blocks the nerve signals that cause muscles to contract, decreasing painful muscle spasms which then result in tightening the skin.

“Daxi can help smooth fine lines on the face for a younger-looking appearance,” says Bruce Katz MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City. Dr. Katz, who was also one of the first dermatologists to clinically study Daxi, explains that it is formulated with a proprietary protein, which the toxin that paralyzes the muscle is attached, causing the longer-lasting results.