Botox is most often associated with cosmetic treatments and is extremely popular in South Korea as a way to keep your face looking fresh beyong its years, …but growing evidence shows Botox also has medical benefits that remain under-utilized,... at least for now.
Park Se-young has more.
Botox, or botulinum toxin, is a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.
A single gram of the toxin can kill as many as a million people, …but it's called a "miracle drug" as it also comes with both cosmetic and medical benefits.
And the medicine industry has been eyeing the growing body of evidence that shows Botox can treat an increasing number of conditions.
In fact, the annual global Botox market is expected to reach five-point-nine billion U.S. dollars by 2021.
This is why a U.S. drug maker spent 63 billion dollars to acquire Botox maker Allergan.

"It's known that botulinum toxin treats illnesses or helps overcome bad conditions in a sizable number of fields. The uses of the toxin are expanding to that of a cure-all."

Currently, medical treatment and cosmetic purposes each make up about half of the global Botox market.
In the newer markets of South Korea and China, medical purposes make up only ten percent of Botox use.
However, with Botox being regarded as the "golden egg" in Korea, …the industry is overheating with development.

"About ten local companies have already developed or have announced plans to develop Botox medicines, so it seems to be overheating."

With findings of the hidden effects of Botox, the pharmaceutical industry expects the market to see huge growth.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.