Thousands NHS Patients will soon have access to a cream that reduces sweating by up to 90 percent.
Axhidrox, which contains the active ingredient glycopyrronium bromide, is applied to the armpits and works by blocking signals that tell the sweat glands to sweat.
While other treatments for excessive sweating appear Botox injections and medications called antimuscarinics – are sometimes prescribed; this is the first UK treatment designed specifically for the problem.
Medical-grade antiperspirants are available, which form a ‘plug’ in the sweat glands to retain moisture, but often cause stinging and irritation.
Medically known as hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating is thought to affect around 2.8 million Brits.
Sweating is believed to be excessive if it occurs regardless of room temperature, stress levels or physical exertion.
The cause is thought to be a malfunction in the part of the brain that tells the glands in the armpit to sweat.
It is unknown what exactly causes the condition, but scientists believe there is a genetic link in 25 to 50 percent of cases.
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, affects as many women as men
The new treatment will be available in the coming months to NHS patients who have exhausted other options.
It can be purchased through online pharmacies for around £130.
The approval follows clinical trials that demonstrated the cream’s striking effectiveness in banishing extreme sweating.
After twelve weeks of regular use, Axhidrox was found to reduce perspiration by an average of 65 percent in a group of 518 patients.
A third of study participants saw a 75 percent reduction in sweating, and one in five patients saw a 90 percent reduction.
According to the German study, the benefits lasted about a year.
The most common side effects were skin reactions, dry mouth and eyes, constipation and blurred vision.
The cream contains glycopyrronium bromide
The manufacturers of the drug, the German company Axunio, warn patients to avoid contact with the eyes, mouth and nose.
They also tell users to stop using the treatment immediately if they notice swelling, mainly of the face, lips or throat, making it difficult to swallow or breathe, itching and a rash.
This could be a sign of a serious allergic reaction.
Research shows that hyperhidrosis can be disabling; approximately 75 percent of patients say the condition negatively impacts their quality of life.
People with hyperhidrosis are also twice as likely to experience anxiety as the average person, and almost three times as likely to experience depression, studies show.
A recent US study found that a fifth of patients may have a mutation in a gene known to control sweat gland activity.
The scientists at Johns Hopkins University then developed mice that carried the mutation and discovered that the subjects sweated excessively.
“We found that this mutation essentially increases the volume of the nerve signals that stimulate sweating,” said Dr. Malcolm Brock, a surgeon who led the study.
‘That insight gives us a specific target for future therapies.’
