Did you know more than 15 million Americans have hyperhidrosis — or nearly 5 percent of the population? Recent data reveals that more Americans than previously estimated live with severe excessive sweating, most commonly occurring in the underarms.

I dealt with excessive underarm sweating for over a decade before I was diagnosed with axillary hyperhidrosis and set out to create my own solution, the Thompson Tee. And the research shows I’m not alone. In fact, 49 percent of those who sweat excessively have not discussed it with a doctor because they don’t think hyperhidrosis is a medical condition or that treatment options exist. Sound familiar?

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with hyperhidrosis or not, millions of people are looking for an effective solution to underarm sweat. For most, expensive and life-threatening procedures just aren’t realistic solutions.

To meet the demand for non-invasive solutions, more pharmaceutical companies are releasing  hyperhidrosis treatments to help alleviate the life-altering effects of excessive underarm sweating.

New Medication for Hyperhidrosis

Extensive research on  prescription drugs for hyperhidrosis (called anticholinergics) and their side effects already exists today.

Neurotransmitter-blocking drugs were originally designed to treat asthma, incontinence, COPD and other gastrointestinal issues. Because anticholinergics dry out the body, doctors now also prescribe them to patients with excessive sweating.

Qbrexza and RVT-504 are two newer hyperhidrosis drugs that target excessive sweating. They were recently put through clinical trials to test their effectiveness. Here’s an overview of what they are and the results of the trials.

Qbrexza (Formerly known as DERMIRA DRM04)

Dermira is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs for dermatologic diseases. The company’s hyperhidrosis drug, DRM04, is a topical anticholinergic that users apply directly to the skin.

In recent clinical studies, patients applied the topical solution once daily for four weeks. Compared to those who received the placebo, patients reported significant improvements in the severity of their sweat and quality of life with only mild to moderate side effects. 

Of the patients taking Dermira, 72-77 percent experienced at least a 50 percent reduction in their measured sweating volume.

Dermira conducted studies to assess DRM04’s long-term safety in patients using it for at least a year. The company received FDA approval in 2018 and released DRM04 under a new name: Qbrexza.

Qbrexza is expected to be available in pharmacies nationwide beginning in October 2018. It will be sold as a medicated cloth for daily topical treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis and is approved for adults and children 9 years of age and older.

This hyperhidrosis drug is reported to cause some common side effects of anticholinergics, including dry mouth, dilated pupils, urinary hesitation, blurred vision, constipation, headaches, dry nose, dry throat and dry skin.

RVT-504 (Formerly known as TheraVida THVD-102)

TheraVida is a specialty pharmaceutical company engineering drugs for primary and secondary hyperhidrosis, including THVD-102. 

This newer hyperhidrosis treatment combines an oral anticholinergic hybrid with another medicine to combat the side effects of anticholinergics. In April 2018, biopharmaceutical company Dermavant Sciences secured the rights for development and commercialization of the drug. It’s now known as RVT-504.

RVT-504 is the only oral, systemically acting drug currently in development for primary hyperhidrosis. Because the pill works throughout the body, it has been shown to limit overall sweating and reduce dry mouth when taken twice per day.

The drugs used in RVT-504 include the oral medicine oxybutynin and a delayed-release version of pilocarpine — which combats side effects of oxybutynin such as dry mouth. However, what makes TheraVida unique is its technology, which delays the release of custom doses of pilocarpine to reduce the frequency and severity of dry mouth.

In Phase 2 of clinical testing, RVT-504 showed significant improvements on the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale, Hyperhidrosis Visual Analog Scale and Hyperhidrosis Visual Quantification Scale. It also showed promising reductions in the severity of dry mouth when compared to dosing with oxybutynin alone.

RVT-504 is still in development, so you won’t find it on pharmacy shelves any time soon. But it’s worth keeping this promising hyperhidrosis drug on your radar. 

Find the Right Hyperhidrosis Solution for You

Dealing with excessive sweat and the disappointments that come with failed solutions can be very stressful.

My friend and co-founder Randy Choi went as far as to get his sweat glands removed to overcome hyperhidrosis. But getting ETS surgery only left Randy with a compensatory sweating problem on his chest and torso. After seeing the hardship he went through, I knew I needed to create a more practical solution.

That’s why I developed the Thompson Tee. It’s the only patented sweat proof undershirt guaranteed to lock in moisture and prevent sweat marks from showing through your clothing. By wearing Thompson Tees, you can finally forget about underarm sweat. When you stop worrying about nasty sweat marks, hyperhidrosis no longer controls your life.

If you’re looking for other solutions to hyperhidrosis, we encourage you to try a Thompson Tee risk free or check out our comprehensive list of hyperhidrosis treatment options to find the right one for you.

Have you tried hyperhidrosis drugs? We'd love to hear about your experience.