Botulinum toxin is a polypeptide produced by the gram-positive anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
BOTOX® (botulinum toxin type A) is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including chronic migraine, severe underarm sweating (severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis), blepharospasm, strabismus associated with dystonias, and cervical dystonia.
The product known as BOTOX® Cosmetic was approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of glabellar frown lines and in 2013 for the improvement of lateral canthal lines.