FDA: Handful of reports prompted Botox review

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have received a "relative handful" of reports of deaths and serious reactions in patients treated with Allergan Inc's Botox and a rival product, a Food and Drug Administration official said on Friday.

Dr. Russell Katz, director of the FDA division that oversees the botulinum toxin products, declined to give a specific figure on the number of reports received. He said the agency was not aware of any reports of fatalities involving cosmetic use of the products.

The comments followed an earlier announcement that the FDA was reviewing the safety of Botox, Botox Cosmetic and Solstice Neuroscience's competitor called Myobloc.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)