New Study Finds Obagi Medical Products' ELASTIderm Eye Treatment Regenerates Elastic Fibers in Skin around the Eyes

2008-10-28 23:28:03 -

- Obagi Medical Products Investor Contact: ICR, Inc. Ina McGuinness or Lena Adams 310-954-1100 or Media Contact: HealthSTAR Public Relations Shannon Coughlin, 646-722-8839 scoughlin@healthstarpr.com Obagi Medical Products, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMPI), a leader in topical aesthetic and therapeutic skin health systems, announced today the publication of a study of its copper-zinc malonate eye treatment ELASTIderm(TM) in the September 2008 issue of Experimental Dermatology, a premier journal of investigative dermatology. The results of the study suggest that six weeks of treatment with ELASTIderm can enhance the biosynthesis of elastin in skin.

Periorbital skin biopsies were obtained from female subjects, with photoaged skin, who participated in a randomized, double-blind, multi-center study evaluating the clinical effects of ELASTIderm eye treatment. Histological analyses were performed on the biopsied tissue by the Departments of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Jefferson Medical College, under the direction of Dr. Jouni Uitto, a dermatologist and world-renowned expert in extracellular matrix biology and pathology.

Results from the histological analyses suggest that repair and regeneration of the elastic fiber network occurred during the 6 weeks of treatment with ELASTIderm. Regeneration of the elastic fiber network is thought to be due to reduced degradation of the elastic fibers or enhanced biosynthesis of tropoelastin, the precursor molecule of elastin.

"As skin ages it naturally loses elasticity and recoil, a process compounded by overexposure to the sun. There are few products that can reverse these changes," said Jouni Uitto, MD, PhD, Chair, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and investigator of the study. "The data show that ELASTIderm eye treatment can help increase the presence of elastic fibers in the treated periorbital areas of skin. This improvement is likely to be caused by the bi-metal complex in the product."

Fine lines and wrinkles are the result of sun exposure and the normal intrinsic aging process, which contribute to the loss of elastin. ELASTIderm eye treatment is a one-of-a-kind topical eye treatment clinically proven to help restore elasticity to skin around the eye and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

"While most products target either collagen or elastin, ELASTIderm eye treatment is unique because it helps increase production of both, reinforcing Obagi Medical Products as the leader in science-based skincare products," said Steven Carlson, Chief Executive Officer of Obagi Medical Products. "ELASTIderm eye treatment uses Obagi's exclusive Penetrating Therapeutics(TM) technology that allows for greater penetration across the skin barrier to help stimulate elasticity and collagen to enhance the resilience of the skin around the eyes."

Physicians interested in obtaining a copy of the manuscript can visit the "For Physicians" section of www.obagi.com to request a copy.

About ELASTIderm(TM) Eye treatment

ELASTIderm Eye treatment is a novel eye treatment that is clinically proven to help the natural abilities of skin to repair photodamage by decreasing the number of visible fine lines and wrinkles and increasing the elasticity of the skin. Although most cosmetic treatment products to date utilize moisturizing ingredients to help reduce the appearance of lines around the eyes, ELASTIderm eye treatment utilizes a patent-pending bi-mineral complex technology with malonic acid to offer a new, clinically-proven approach to anti-aging treatment without the use of line-plumping moisturizers. Visit www.ELASTIderm.com for more information.

About Obagi Medical Products, Inc.

Obagi Medical Products develops and commercializes skin health products for the dermatology, plastic surgery, and related aesthetic markets. Using its Penetrating Therapeutics(TM) technologies, Obagi Medical's products are designed to improve penetration of agents across the skin barrier for common and visible skin conditions in adult skin including chloasma, melasma, senile lentigines, acne vulgaris and sun damage. The history of Obagi's skin care product introductions is as follows: Obagi Nu-Derm(R), 1988; Obagi-C(R) Rx (the first and only prescription-strength vitamin C and hydroquinone system), 2004; Obagi(R) Professional-C (a line of highly stable vitamin C serums), 2005; Obagi(R) Condition and Enhance for use with cosmetic procedures to enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction, 2006; Obagi ELASTIderm(TM) eye treatment and Obagi CLENZIderm(R) M.D. acne therapeutic systems, 2007; a formulation of Obagi CLENZIderm(R) M.D. Systems for normal to dry skin, June 2007; and Obagi ELASTIderm(TM) Decolletage System, January 2008 and SoluCLENZ Rx Gel(TM) for the pharmacy channel in August 2008. Visit www.obagi.com for information.

Forward Looking Statements

There are forward-looking statements contained herein, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "potential," "anticipates," "plans," or "intends" and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from the future results, events or developments indicated in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the impact of the current economy on our ability to sell products at historical levels, the intense competition our products face and will face in the future, the level of market acceptance of our products, the possibility that our products could be rendered obsolete by technological or medical advances, the possibility that we may become involved in intellectual property claims and litigation that could adversely affect the profitability of or our ability to sell our products, the possibility that our products may cause undesirable side effects and the fact that our ability to commercially distribute our products may be significantly harmed if the regulatory environment governing our products changes. A more detailed discussion of these and other factors that could affect results is contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that the future results covered by the forward-looking statements will be achieved. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release and Obagi Medical Products does not intend to update this information.

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