Improvements in Submental Contour up to 3 Years After ATX-101: Efficacy and Safety Follow-Up of the Phase 3 REFINE Trials

Efficacy, safety, and potential industry bias in using deoxycholic acid for submental fat reduction ‒ A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Lipolytic substance injections to reduce localized fat have been extensively used because it is a low-invasive method. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of deoxycholic acid in submental fat reduction compared to a placebo and investigate the potential industry sponsorship bias in the results of randomized clinical trials on this topic. Ten electronic databases were extensively searched for randomized clinical trials without restriction on language and year of publication. Two reviewers extracted the data and assessed the individual risk of bias in the studies with the RoB 2.0 tool. The industry sponsorship bias was evaluated according to citations in the articles regarding industry funding/sponsorship throughout the texts. Fixed and random effects meta-analyses were performed, and the results were reported in Risk Ratio (RR) at a 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI). The initial search provided 5756 results, of which only five were included. Only two studies had a low risk of bias. All studies showed a potential industry bias. The meta-analysis showed that patients treated with deoxycholic acid had significant positive results for all efficacy outcomes and a higher risk of fibrosis, pain, erythema, numbness, swelling, edema, pruritus, nodules, headache, and paresthesia. The low to moderate certainty of evidence found allows concluding that deoxycholic acid is effective in submental fat reduction, causing well-tolerated adverse effects. However, all eligible studies showed a potential industry bias.

Evidence-Based Medicine for Nonsurgical Facial Rejuvenation

Options for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatment have increased significantly in both availability and popularity over the past two decades. However, there remains a paucity of clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based recommendations for these procedures. The purpose of this article is to assess the presence of current high-level research for various methods of nonsurgical facial rejuvenation using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Botulinum toxin injections remain the best-studied method, with several randomized controlled trials guiding recommendations for safety and efficacy. Several studies on injectable fillers document complications and recommendations to avoid these, but sample sizes are small and many are noncomparative. Deoxycholic acid has been well examined and Food and Drug Administration approved to address submental fat but has not been studied in other areas of the face. Although chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, energy-based facial rejuvenation, microneedling, and platelet-rich plasma have a variety of facial rejuvenation applications with minimal side effect profiles, there is significant variability with treatment protocols, outcomes measures, and randomized controlled trials with extended follow-up to develop clinical practice guidelines.

Injection Adipocytolysis for Body and Jawline Contouring: Real-World Experience and Treatment Considerations

BACKGROUND

The role of ATX-101 in submental fat reduction has been well documented; however, its applicability across multiple anatomic areas is to be explored.

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to describe the experience with ATX-101 subcutaneous injections for body and jawline contouring and evaluate its safety.

METHODS

This single-arm, single-center observational study included 201 patients who underwent injection adipocytolysis with ATX-101 (area-adjusted dose of 2 mg/cm2) in the jowl, abdomen (upper/lower), thigh (inner/outer/banana roll), arm, anterior periaxillary fat, back (lower/upper/nape/lipoma), knee (anterior/medial), chest, and/or neck. The number of treatment sessions, treatment volumes, doses, injections required for each anatomic area, and associated adverse events were recorded.

RESULTS

The mean number of treatment sessions conducted was 1.8. Multiple sessions were common for the jowl (mean: 2.0 and mean volume administered varied significantly between persons receiving 1 or multiple sessions [P = 0.005]). The mean volume and mean number of injections per session were highest in the chest (84.7 mL and 423.5, respectively) and lowest in the jowl (0.8 mL and 4.6, respectively). The chest (0.2 mL) and nape (0.2 mL) received the highest mean ATX-101 dose per injection site per session, whereas the inner thigh (0.11 mL) and upper back (0.11 mL) received the least. Adverse events observed were localized to the injection site. All patients experienced edema after each session, whereas numbness, tenderness, bruising, and paresis were experienced by 99.6%, 94.2%, 33.1%, and 2.6% of patients, respectively. Alopecia was not observed.

CONCLUSIONS

ATX-101 was well tolerated for body and jawline contouring.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4

The Role of Fat Reducing Agents on Adipocyte Death and Adipose Tissue Inflammation

Deoxycholic Acid (DCA), which is an FDA-approved compound for the reduction of submental fat, has evolved through an unanticipated and surprising sequence of events. Initially, it was used as a solvent for Phosphatidylcholine (PDC), which was thought to promote lipolysis, but it was later proven to be the bioactive component of the formula and is currently widely used as Kybella. It has also been used off-label to treat other types of fat deposits like lipomas, HIV lipodystrophy, and excess orbital fat. Despite widespread clinical use, there has been no consensus clarifying the mechanisms of DCA and PDC alone or in combination. Furthermore, despite PDC's removal from the FDA-approved formula, some studies do suggest it plays an important role in fat reduction. To provide some clarity, we conducted a PubMed search and reviewed 41 articles using a comprehensive list of terms in three main categories, using the AND operator: 1) Phosphatidylcholines 2) Deoxycholic Acid, and 3) Lipoma. We isolated articles that studied PDC, DCA, and a PDC/DCA compound using cell biology, molecular and genetic techniques. We divided relevant articles into those that studied these components using histologic techniques and those that utilized specific cell death and lipolysis measurement techniques. Most morphologic studies indicated that PDC/DCA, DCA, and PDC, all induce some type of cell death with accompanying inflammation and fibrosis. Most morphologic studies also suggest that PDC/DCA and DCA alone are non-selective for adipocytes. Biochemical studies describing PDC and DCA alone indicate that DCA acts as a detergent and rapidly induces necrosis while PDC induces TNF-α release, apoptosis, and subsequent enzymatic lipolysis after at least 24 hours. Additional papers have suggested a synergistic effect between the two compounds. Our review integrates the findings of this growing body of literature into a proposed mechanism of fat reduction and provides direction for further studies.

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1/2 Study to Determine the Appropriate ATX-101 Concentration for Reduction of Submental Fat

BACKGROUND

ATX-101 is indicated for submental fat treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate ATX-101 versus placebo for reducing submental fat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adults with unwanted submental fat across 6 global sites were randomized to ATX-101 (0.5%, 1.0%, or 2.0%) or placebo for ≤4 treatments every 28 days. Outcomes included safety (adverse events and pain visual analog scale) throughout the study and efficacy (submental fat rating, patient satisfaction, and submental fat improvements) at Week 16.

RESULTS

Eighty-four of 85 enrolled patients received ≥1 ATX-101 treatment (0.5% [n = 20], 1.0% [n = 20], 2.0% [n = 22] or placebo [n = 22]). Most patients (n = 82) experienced adverse events, which were mostly mild/moderate, seemed to be dose-related, and led to no study discontinuations. The mean pain scores were highest in the ATX-101 1.0% and 2.0% groups. Week-16 change from baseline in the submental fat rating scale was significantly greater for ATX-101 0.5% and 1.0% versus placebo (p ≤ .05). At Week 16, 71%, 74%, 53%, and 40% of patients in the ATX-101 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and placebo groups, respectively, achieved a ≥1-grade reduction in submental fat from baseline. Satisfaction with appearance and patient-assessed global improvement ratings increased in all ATX-101 treatment groups versus placebo.

CONCLUSION

All ATX-101 concentrations were safe and efficacious for moderate/severe submental fat reduction.