Does free speech apply to touting Botox?
NEW YORK – Allergan Inc., the maker of the Botox wrinkle treatment, challenged the government’s ban on off-label drug marketing to doctors, saying it violates the company’s right to freedom of speech.The company contends in a lawsuit filed Thursday that it should be able to educate doctors about the risks and benefits of using treatments for unapproved uses.Botox is approved for several uses by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition to its use as a wrinkle treatment, it is approved for eye muscle disorders and excessive underarm sweating. But physicians often use it for unapproved, or off-label, indications including muscle-spasm conditions.
