A newly formulated topical therapy appears to be significantly effective and well-tolerated in patients suffering from primary focal hyperhidrosis. The modified formulation offers a therapeutic option to patients who fail other topical therapies for their condition and/or where other treatment avenues are not an option.
St. Louis - Patients treated with a new topical formulation consisting of 15 percent aluminum chloride in a 2 percent salicylic acid gel base (Hydrosal, Valeo Pharma) demonstrate significant improvement from symptoms of axillary hyperhidrosis and report a high tolerability, according to the results of a recent study.
The 12-week, single-center, open- label study included 30 patients with moderate-to-severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, who had a baseline score of 3 to 4 on the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS).
Participants applied Hydrosal bilaterally in the axillae once nightly for a week and then twice weekly for the duration of the study.
More than 75 percent of patients were either somewhat or very satisfied with treatment of their axillary hyperhidrosis compared to baseline. The mean HDSS scores of the patients decreased from 3.3 at baseline to 2.12 by week 12 with Hydrosal, indicating that patients tolerated the formulation very well.
"Prescription-strength formulations of 20 percent aluminum chloride in aqueous alcohol (Drysol, Person & Covey) can often be too irritating for patients and difficult for them to tolerate.
"In a recent study, 20 percent aluminum chloride in a 4 percent salicylic acid gel base proved to have an excellent efficacy and safety, and was much more accepted and tolerated by patients.
"This new formulation found in Hydrosal seems to do even better in terms of tolerability by patients, while keeping up a good level of effectiveness," says Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., professor and vice chairman, department of dermatology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis.
Disclosure: This study was funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Valeo Pharma.
© Reprinted from Dermatology Times, December 2008 Printed in U.S.A.