"Across Different Latitudes, Similar Attitudes Toward Beauty"

SEOUL, South Korea, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the 22nd World Congress of Dermatology in Seoul, Korea, Merz Aesthetics celebrated its commitment to the Asian market and reinforced its plans to become a global leader in the aesthetics business with the release of the third chapter of its "Face Value" Beauty Survey.

Currently, Merz Aesthetics operates in 16 countries around the globe with a primary presence in America and Europe.  The Asia Pacific Region is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and dynamic aesthetics markets in the world and represents a strategic opportunity for Merz. The company recently announced it will build its regional headquarters in Singapore and has committed to providing clinical training, technical workshops and scientific background to physicians across the region.  Most recently in addition to the Singapore office, Merz has established offices in Korea and Taiwan.

The Asia-Pacific facial injectable market – comprising botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, particle and polymer fillers and collagen fillers – is expected to grow through 2014 due to increased physician adoption of profitable facial injectable treatments in their practices and growing patient demand for less invasive cosmetic procedures. This consumer demand backed by physician innovation, product availability, and increasing consumer disposable income intersect to create double digit growth year upon year in the region.

"The extreme growth of the minimally invasive facial injectable market in South Korea specifically and across Asia, suggests a high aesthetic consciousness in the Asia-Pacific region, which will fuel continued demand for cosmetic procedures, including facial injectable treatments," said Kyle Seo, MD, PhD, Director of Modelo Clinic, Seoul, South Korea. "The large pool of patients in this region represents a significant opportunity for revenue potential in the facial injectable market."

The "Face Value" Beauty Survey

According to the Merz Aesthetics "Face Value" Beauty Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive among over 2,900 women from France, Italy, Spain, Russia and the United Kingdom, more than 9 in 10 (95%) women would like to improve or alter a facial feature and nearly 4 in 5 (78%) believe it is acceptable for women to invest in aesthetic procedures to enhance their beauty as they age.  The survey also found a strong tie between beauty, happiness and confidence.  In fact, a majority of women (70%) surveyed said they feel most beautiful when they are happy and even more said that when they are happy, they feel more beautiful (89%) and when they feel beautiful they are more confident (89%).

The "Face Value" Beauty Survey also found that the majority of women (70%) surveyed said that they feel more confident as they age.  They also claim they do not mind looking their age - they just do not want to look older.

"We listen to our customers and understand that modern women across the world, regardless of age, race or personal circumstances have an unapologetic desire to feel beautiful," said Steve Basta, CEO of Merz Aesthetics.  "Whether she is in Seoul, Seattle, Sao Paulo or Stockholm, today's woman is clearly interested in products and procedures that enable her to create a more beautiful, and more confident, but not necessarily younger looking version of herself."

About the Survey

The survey, conducted online in October 2010 by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Merz, included 2,939 women from France (n=543), the United Kingdom (n=524), Italy (n=667), Spain (n=701), and Russia (n=504) who have experience with, or interest in, using facial injectable treatments of dermal fillers and other injectables.  Women were asked a variety of questions about their thoughts and feelings related to what makes a woman beautiful, their own personal beauty, and the role of aesthetic procedures in maintaining their appearance. For more information on survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Medical Dynamics at + 1 (212) 537-9495.

About Merz Aesthetics

Merz Aesthetics, Inc. is a division of Germany-based Merz Pharmaceuticals.  Merz Aesthetics Europe is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, operates subsidiaries in 16 countries and cooperates with more than 30 distributors all over the world.

Founded in 1908, Merz has more than a century of experience in improving people's lives and has deep roots in dermatology. Merz Aesthetics is breaking new scientific ground and is setting future industry standards by bringing doctors and patients safe and effective products for use in dermatology and aesthetic treatments.

Merz Aesthetics' product portfolio includes Radiesse® Volumizing Filler and the BELOTERO® family of fillers for use in facial aesthetics.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Harris serves clients in over 215 countries and territories through its North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

SOURCE Merz Aesthetics, Inc.