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.<br />Park Se-young has more. <br /> Botox, or botulinum toxin, is a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.<br />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.<br />And the medicine industry has been eyeing the growing body of evidence that shows Botox can treat an increasing number of conditions.<br />In fact, the annual global Botox market is expected to reach five-point-nine billion U.S. dollars by 2021.<br />This is why a U.S. drug maker spent 63 billion dollars to acquire Botox maker Allergan.<br /><br />"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."<br /><br /> Currently, medical treatment and cosmetic purposes each make up about half of the global Botox market.<br />In the newer markets of South Korea and China, medical purposes make up only ten percent of Botox use.<br />However, with Botox being regarded as the "golden egg" in Korea, …the industry is overheating with development.<br /><br />"About ten local companies have already developed or have announced plans to develop Botox medicines, so it seems to be overheating."<br /><br /> With findings of the hidden effects of Botox, the pharmaceutical industry expects the market to see huge growth.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News. <br />
