In the middle of September, the founders and medical directors of MD ESTHETICS, Dr. Kent Banks and Dr. Daniel Milkovich had the privilege of touring the facility where all of the world’s Botox® is manufactured in Westport, Ireland. This opportunity was offered to a small group of the top medical aesthetics physicians in Canada.
“It was my first time to Ireland and I already want to go back. The Irish people were amazing. Genuinely hospitable, humble, friendly and fun-loving. In a short 4 day trip we travelled across a good portion of Southern Ireland, from Shannon up to Westport, then across to Dublin. Beautiful emerald fields periodically dotted with centuries-old castles and manors.
During this trip, we had the opportunity to share pearls and tips with the other physicians present. This exchange of ideas with colleagues always helps us bring the best of North American aesthetic medical practices home to Victoria.
The tour of Allergan’s manufacturing plant in Westport was very enlightening. The sheer scope of this facility is unbelievable. The facility consists of multiple large buildings on a sizeable acreage and employs around 1000 people. Not bad in a town with a population of 5500! The efforts Allergan takes for security, quality control, safety, and customer support couldn’t be better. An example of this is the development of a cell-based assay to test the potency of each Botox® batch. This development took 10 years and cost tens of millions of dollars. This was developed to optimize the sensitivity of the test and eliminate the need for animal testing in this process. It is no wonder why Allergan continues to be the frontrunner in the medical aesthetic field.”
– Dr. Kent Banks