Drug company creates eyelash thickener

IRVINE, Calif., June 5 (UPI) -- A U.S. drug company said it has developed a cosmetic drug that uses bimatoprost to stimulate eyelash growth.

Allergan Inc., a California company that also makes Botox, said it will file a new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this year.

A clinical trial showed that bimatoprost -- a synthetic prostaglandin analog -- results in significant eyelash growth when applied directly to the base of the lashes, Allergan said Wednesday in a release.

"We are pleased with the results of our clinical program and believe this innovative product, if approved, could meet a significant and currently unmet demand in the medical aesthetic marketplace," Dr. Scott Whitcup, vice president of research and development, said in a statement.

If approved by the FDA, Allergan's bimatoprost product would be available only by prescription, the company said.