Kybella, non-surgial treatment, promises removal of double chin

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dr. Alexander Rivkin is in the business of making his patients beautiful by using non-surgical cosmetic treatments, and he now has a new way to get rid of a double chin.

"It's the first of it's kind tool, as an injection to reduce fat. We've never seen this kind of thing before, officially," Rivkin said.

It's called Kybella, which was just approved by the Federal Drug Administration. It promises to permantently melt away the fat under people's chins without surgery or liposuction.

The drug, which is a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid, is injected into the chin in a series of treatments. The acid destroys the fat cells and eliminates the double chin.

It is sold by Kythera Biopharmaceuticals in Westlake, the company said it expects Kybella could top $500 million in annual sales.

Botox and other dermal fillers have become a billion dollar a year business in the U.S., and while botox started off simply eliminating wrinkles, it is now used to treat everything from migraines to overactive bladder.

Rivkin said Kybella could be a game changer for fat.

"Since it destroys fat cells permanently, we can apply it in other areas of the body and get very interesting results and solutions for things we didn't have solutions for before," Rivkin said.

The drug should be available within the next month or two, Rivkin added.