Botox for depression? No need for furrowed brows, says Allergan's head of R&D David Nicholson

Given that it is best known for its aesthetic potential in reducing facial wrinkles, few people will know that Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) has as many as 11 separate therapeutic indications, treating conditions ranging from overactive bladder to chronic migraines.

Fewer people still will be aware that Botox is being investigated as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), with early results suggesting that injecting the neurotoxic protein into the glabella area can have highly promising results even in patients with treatment-resistant depression.

What is clear is that Ireland-incorporated drugmaker Allergan (NYSE: AGN) is making the most of what it one of its flagship products, and that it is not finished there, as shown by its investigations in depression, an area of limited progress in recent decades.