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 While the function of sweating is to prevent overheating, those
affected sweat even when the body does not need cooling.
Existing therapies for excessive underarm sweating, also called
axillary hyperhidrosis, offer limited effectiveness and can be
expensive.
The first line of defense are anti-perspirants. Next, patients can
try costlier alternatives such as botox injections, a device called
miraDry that delivers electromagnetic energy to decompose sweat
glands, or laser therapy to destroy them.
Sufferers can also opt for localized surgery, like liposuction, to
remove or injure sweat glands. Oral medicines can be used to
systemically limit sweating. For instance, a class of drugs called
anticholinergics are commonly used off-label for this purpose, but
they are linked with the risk of dementia.
Based on the most recent estimates, about 7.8 million Americans have
some form of excessive sweating including palms, feet, underarms or
head, and about half of this population suffer from the underarm
form, said Dermira spokeswoman Erica Jefferson, in an interview
ahead of the data readout.
The Menlo Park, California-based company's shares were up 3 percent
at $33.00 in extended trading on Wednesday.
About two-thirds of the total 697 enrolled in the two trials for the
company's topical treatment, DRM04, were treated with wipes
containing DRM04, while the rest were not.
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In the first trial, a significant improvement in the severity of
sweating was seen in 52.8 percent of the patients treated with the
drug, compared with 28.3 percent patients in the control group, on a
scale designed by the company.
In the second trial, a significant improvement was seen in 66.1
percent of the drug-treated patients, compared with 26.9 percent in
the control group.
Dermira said it had expected to apply for marketing approval for the
drug in the second half of 2017, subject to completion of the drug's
long-term safety trial.
(Reporting by Natalie Grover and Shailesh Kuber in Bengaluru;
Editing by Maju Samuel)
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