Results are IN! Promising Data re: TWO New Hyperhidrosis Treatments

Late breaking news hit the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) conference in Vienna this month. Not one but TWO California-based companies, each currently developing new hyperhidrosis treatments released effectiveness results for their products.

Both of these companies support the International Hyperhidrosis Society’s not-for-profit programs -- which is a smart move because readers, like you, know we bring the latest hyperhidrosis news right to email inboxes and that we are committed to data, balance, and improving quality of life for excessive sweating sufferers.

Research and new treatment development in hyperhidrosis is moving faster than ever – because patients and healthcare providers are demanding it! Keep making your voices heard, especially about the need for flexible options for the full range of hyperhidrosis situations! 

Dr. David Pariser, co-founder of the International Hyperhidrosis Society, former president of the American Academy of Dermatology, and professor of dermatology at Eastern Virginia Medical School broke the research news in Vienna and here’s what you should know:

DRM04 is a small-molecule topical (applied on top of the skin) anticholinergic for the treatment of underarm excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) being developed by Dermira (Menlo Park, CA). 

New clinical results show that patients treated for four weeks with DRM04 reported significant improvements in their hyperhidrosis-related quality-of-life compared to patients who received placebo.

Previously released data indicates that 72-77% of patients using DRM04 experienced a 50% or more reduction in their measured sweating volume after applying DRM04 (via a topical wipe) once daily for 4 weeks. Patients also reported significant improvements in disease severity. In these studies, DRM04 has been shown to be generally “well-tolerated" with side effects that were primarily “mild to moderate” in severity. Additional results are expected in peer-reviewed forums in the future.

“We are pleased to add to the growing body of evidence that suggests DRM04 may be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with primary axillary hyperhidrosis,” says Eugene A. Bauer, MD, chief medical officer of Dermira.

What’s next for DRM04? There will be a study looking at DRM04’s long-term safety in patients using it for at least 12 months. Pending those results, Dermira intends to apply for FDA approval of this topical axillary hyperhidrosis treatment later in 2017.

THVD-102 is a combination oral treatment (taken twice per day by mouth) under development for BOTH primary and secondary hyperhidrosis by the company TheraVida of San Mateo, CA. It is the only oral, systemically-acting drug (working in the body as a whole) for hyperhidrosis currently in the works (that we know of).

THVD-102 includes both the oral medicine oxybutynin, (which is sometimes used to treat hyperhidrosis, but can have side effects like dry mouth that limit its long-term acceptability) and a delayed-release version of another oral med called pilocarpine. Pilocarpine works to combat oxybutynin’s side effects, including dry mouth.

In a clinical trial in primary focal hyperhidrosis, THVD-102 was shown to limit sweating and to reduce dry mouth to a statistically significant degree as compared to oxybutynin taken alone. According to TheraVida, the same results cannot be achieved by taking currently-available oxybutynin and pilocarpine meds together because regular formulations don’t include THVD-102’s proprietary technology, which enables pilocarpine’s delayed release and custom dosing to reduce the frequency and severity of dry mouth and, possibly, other side effects.

“A well-tolerated, oral treatment for hyperhidrosis would address an important unmet need for patients and physicians,” says Benjamin F. McGraw, III, PharmD, Chairman and CEO of TheraVida, Inc.,

“Hyperhidrosis has historically been an undertreated skin condition. As a result, millions of patients have been suffering silently,” notes Dr. Pariser. “New treatment options that are safe and effective are needed that provide clinical benefit and ultimately improve a patient’s quality of life. While current treatments are lacking in many ways, I’m very encouraged by these studies’ results.”

The International Hyperhidrosis Society is following the development of these potential new treatment options closely.

Watch this news blog for updates as they become available. We are the only non-profit, 501(c)3, organization focused solely on hyperhidrosis patients and the healthcare professionals who care for them. Thank you for supporting our work as we enter our 14th year of advocating for and informing the hyperhidrosis community.

And remember, you can help the treatment development process by getting involved in research studies


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