Teoxane UK Introduces Two-Step Authentication

Teoxane UK launches new two-step authentication process to tackle illicit product supply.

Teoxane UK will add holographic seals and QR codes for authentication on its dermal fillers.

The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) noted that inappropriate product supply and use is one of the most common complaints that they receive, and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seizing more than 15.5 million doses of illegally traded medicines, with a street value of more than £30 million during 2023 alone, the illicit trading of counterfeit cosmetic products including injectable dermal fillers and botulinum toxins, as well as illicit supply issues continue to pose significant issues for product procurement and patient safety.

One of the world’s leading dermal filler brands Teoxane has announced that it is tackling the problem head-on with the
introduction of a new two-step authentication process that will enable healthcare professionals in the UK the ability to check whether the Teoxane dermal filler that they have purchased is genuine and guarantee the product quality has been authenticated at every stage of the UK supply chain journey before it reaches the clinic.

From July 2024, all Teoxane dermal fillers in the UK will feature a holographic seal of authenticity affixed to the box. Additionally, each box of Teoxane dermal filler has a unique LOT number that allows the product journey to be tracked from the moment the gel is produced in the manufacturing plant in Switzerland to the moment it arrives at the designated pharmacy. This traceability allows Teoxane to verify elements such as the testing of the gel, the quality approvals, the laboratory authentication, the temperature in which the gel has been stored and shipped and that the product has been appropriately handled and not tampered with before shipment.

As a further precautionary measure, Teoxane will have a UK-specific website whereby HCP’s will be able to scan a QR code affixed to the label and enter a code to double-check authentication to find out if Teoxane’s Swiss laboratories created the product, and if the product has been safely managed throughout the UK distribution channel.

Hannah Nolan, National Sales Manager, Teoxane UK Ltd comments:

“Teoxane is committed to innovation, excellence, safety, and satisfaction for both patients and healthcare practitioners in
aesthetic medicine.

As one of the world’s leading dermal filler brands, we integrate expertise and meticulous attention to detail into every step of the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution process, so that our HCP partners and their patients can be assured that every box of Teoxane dermal filler that they use is safe and of the highest quality that they have come to expect.

Illicit product and supply issues are a blight on our industry and provide serious risks to public safety, and the supply chain. Unless Teoxane have supplied the dermal filler directly or through our approved pharmacy partners, we are unable to qualify the safety and effectiveness of the product, because we are unable to trace and monitor the steps that Teoxane routinely take to ensure the product is optimal for supply and treatment.

The introduction of our new two-step authentication process will help to fortify and protect our HCP’s and patients, ensuring the legitimacy of the Teoxane dermal filler products that they purchase in the UK, and ensuring that they are not only high quality, but get them the results that they desire and deserve.”

Andrew Rankin, Chair JCCP Clinical Advisory Group comments:

“Safe products are key to safe, legitimate practice. Products that are acquired from illegitimate sources may be counterfeit, or they may lack the provenance to confirm their continued safety through the supply chain. Such products represent a significant risk to patient safety and a challenge to ethical, professional practice. The JCCP therefore welcomes this timely initiative from Teoxane, and we encourage practitioners to implement these available measures as part of a Standard Operating Procedure or risk assessment. It will provide those using Teoxane products with the assurance demanded by patients and the evidence expected of all regulated healthcare professionals in meeting standards. We would remind all practitioners that should they find a medicine or a medical device that they believe to be fake, or in any way non-compliant, please report it both to the manufacturer’s UK representative and to the MHRA using the Yellow Card Scheme.”

Teoxane will continue to supply its products directly or via one of its approved pharmacy partners (Church Pharmacy,
Wigmore, John Bannon, Healthxchange, Millennium, MedFX Group, and Acre and Fox).