FDA approves California company's drug to reduce double-chin fat

LOS ANGELES — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Westlake Village company's injectable drug as a treatment to reduce double-chin fat in adults.

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc. said in a news release that injections of the drug have been shown in clinical studies to be safe and effective in reducing fat under the chin.

It will sell the drug under the brand name Kybella. The company plans to launch the drug this summer through physicians who complete a training program.

"For the first time, people have access to an FDA-approved, non-surgical treatment" for double chins, said Keith Leonard, chief executive of Kythera.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2013, Leonard said he thought the drug could eventually generate more than $500 million in annual sales.

"We really think we're going to be the next big thing in aesthetics," he said.

Kythera's stock fell $2.05, or 4.3 percent, to $45.59. The FDA approval had been widely expected.

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