Doris Day, MD, Discusses Primary Axillary Hyperhidrosis and Brella SweatControl Patch

Candesant Biomedical’s Brella 3-Minute SweatControl Patch was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration last week for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis.¹ The single-use disposable sodium patch reduces excessive underarm sweating and improves patients’ quality of life related to negatively impacted daily activities. When the sodium sheet is applied to the underarm, the thermal energy created is precisely localized to microtarget sweat glands and reduces overall sweat production. According to Candesant, Brella is the first clinical application to utilize the reaction between sodium and sweat and is the only patented medical device based on Candesant’s patented targeted alkali thermolysis technology.

Doris Day, MD, FAAD

Dermatology Times® recently spoke with Doris Day, MD, FAAD, founder of and board-certified dermatologist at Day Dermatology & Aesthetics in New York, and a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center, to discuss how primary axillary hyperhidrosis affects patients across the US and how Brella can improve their excessive sweating.

Dermatology Times: What challenges have you faced regarding previously available treatment options for patients with excessive sweating?

Doris Day, MD, FAAD: This is a very common problem, and patients are often embarrassed to discuss it. It affects their self-esteem and their quality of life. It often ruins outfits and makes for costly dry-cleaning bills. The current at-home treatments are often irritating to the skin or are very cumbersome to use. In-office treatments can be costly and some have potentially significant side effects. They are rarely covered by insurance.

Dermatology Times: What makes the Brella SweatControl Patch unique?

Day: Brella is a new class of treatment for this condition. It is an efficient in-office treatment of a SweatControl Patch that is applied for 3 minutes per underarm. The results take effect at about one week and are expected to last 3 to 4 months after a single treatment.

Dermatology Times: How is Brella’s mechanism of action different?

Day:

1. The Brella SweatControl Patch consists of a sodium sheet with an adhesive overlay.
2. It is a single-use disposable patch which is applied to a patient’s underarm by a health care provider for about 3 minutes.
3. When the sodium on the patch comes into contact with the water from the patient’s sweat (sweat is 99% water) thermal energy (or heat) is generated.
4. The heat generated by the sodium sheet is highly localized, microtargeting sweat glands to significantly reduce sweat production. I like that it’s a smart system that selectively works where it is needed.
5. It is the first clinical application of this principle as a medical device, used to reduce excessive sweating.

Dermatology Times: What would you tell fellow colleagues about treating excessive sweating who may not be as familiar with treating the condition?

Day: I find that many of my patients who are bothered by their sweating don’t realize that it could be a medical condition, so many people are simply not diagnosed even though their sweating has a negative impact on their lives. In fact, just recently The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery released results from its most recent annual survey and found about 58% of aesthetic consumers are most bothered by their excessive sweating.

Interestingly, according to the [International Hyperhidrosis Society] IHHS, most patients do not talk to their health care providers about their excessive sweating so the clearance of Brella offers a timely solution. Brella provides an easy conversation starter for us health care providers and our patients because it provides a simple, in-office approach to sweat control that is fast, comfortable, non-invasive, needle-free, aluminum-free, and affordable, and with results lasting 3 to 4 months; and it fits into most of our patient’s in-office treatments.

[Editor’s note: Share with us your successes and challenges with treating hyperhidrosis by emailing DTEditors@mmhgroup.com]

Reference

1. Candesant Biomedical receives FDA clearance of Brella, the first and only 3-minute sweatcontrol patch to significantly reduce primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Candesant Biomedical. Published April 13, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9159151-candesant-biomedical-receives-fda-clearance-of-brella/