Evolence Pulled From Market

Evolence - an injectable dermal filler derived from pig collagen - was pulled from the market yesterday (November 4, 2009) by it's maker, Johnson & Johnson, who stated that the product is now up for sale. (The Evolence website now declares that it's "under construction".)

Though no reasons have yet been given for the pulling of the product, some doctors are speculating about three contributing factors:

• stiff competition from more "established" and aggressively marketed fillers like Juvederm and Restylane
• low patient satisfaction rates: According to online patient reviews on realself.com, only 35% of patients would recommend Evolence. Chief patient complaints have been pain, bruising and lumps.
• a higher learning curve and more difficulty injecting for administering physicians: Evolence is a thicker and stiffer filler, requiring a larger needle and more massage to avoid lumps. (More massage may exacerbate the bruising mentioned above.)

Of course, if you are considering dermal fillers to fill out your nasolabial folds, plump up your lips, add fullness to your cheeks or under-eye area, or to give your entire face a "liquid lift", there is no need to despair. There are still plenty of other dermal fillers available on the market, most with a relatively high patient satisfaction level in comparison to Evolence.