Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the different types of botulinum toxin?
There are seven distinct variations of the neurotoxin, botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. The types that are approved for use in humans are forms A and B. Botulinum toxin A is approved for cosmetic use and botulinum toxin B is used for different types of muscle diseases. Botulinum toxin A was originally used to treat “crossed eyes”, which is a condition where the eyes are not aligned properly. It was also used to control blepharospasm, also known as “uncontrollable blinking”. From then on, it was used to treat esophageal spasms and also used to inhibit sweating. Type B is used for a variety of muscle related conditions.
No matter what the use is, Pacific BioLabs specializes in botulinum toxin testing to assess its safety. We offer in vivo bioassays for botulinum toxin and insulin. For tetracosactide and glucagon, we offer in vitro bioassays. Learn more about botulinum testing by visiting our botulinum toxin testing page.