Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** Galderma is stepping up training and introducing a new diagnostic evaluation system to combat the growing threat of unlicensed practitioners, aiming to safeguard patient safety and protect its brand amid rapid market expansion.
Swiss aesthetic injectables company Galderma is ramping up medical professional training amid rapid growth, as a surge in unlicensed practitioners raises risks of safety incidents and brand damage.
According to the Financial Times (FT) on July 26 (local time), Galderma has introduced an evaluation system that quantifies facial sagging, wrinkles, and asymmetry for diagnosis. The aim is to manage aesthetics through objective metrics. Galderma CEO Fleming Ørnskov told the FT:
Founded in 1981 as a joint venture between L’Oréal and Nestlé, Galderma was listed on the Swiss stock exchange last year. Since its listing, the stock price has more than doubled. With a market capitalization of approximately 41 billion Swiss francs, it has become the world’s second-largest aesthetic injectables company, following AbbVie.
Galderma’s aesthetic injectables revenue reached $2.5 billion last year, up 11.5% year-on-year. This growth is driven by the proliferation of aesthetic clinics in urban centers and active promotion of procedures on social media.
However, concerns over side effects are also growing in tandem with growth. The rapid increase in aesthetic clinics and medical spas has led to a rise in untrained practitioners.
According to a study by University College London (UCL), the number of personnel administering Botox in the UK last year reached 19,701, a 437% increase in two years. Only 28% of all practitioners were doctors. The proportion of aesthetic specialists without medical licenses performing procedures was 24%, doubling over the same period.
In Florida, USA, the number of medical spas doubled to 1,038 in four years. Over 75% of these were found to be operated by individuals without specialized aesthetic medical training.
The challenge is that suppliers like Galderma find it difficult to directly control who administers their products. Side effects from unskilled practitioners can damage brand trust. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) described the current aesthetic injectables market as a “lawless zone,” noting:
In April, Galderma’s premises in France were raided by authorities on suspicion that Botox-like products were illegally sold to general practitioners without procedure qualifications. CEO Ørnskov explained:
In response, Galderma is focusing on supplying products only to qualified practitioners and expanding medical professional training. Last year alone, it trained over 100,000 medical professionals. Analyst Stefan Schneider Pontobel commented:
