A Polymer Film Device to Treat Excessive Palmar Sweating

Perspiration or sweating is a normal physiological response to increased body temperature, environmental heat and humidity, emotions, nervousness, or physical exertion. Perspiration occurs when sweat is secreted from sweat glands, travels through sweat ducts and exits sweat pores to coat the skin's surface. The evaporation of sweat from the skin dissipates heat and is the primary thermoregulatory mechanism used by humans and primates. Excessive sweating beyond what is required for maintaining body temperature homeostasis is termed hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is idiopathic affecting the palmar, plantar, axillary, or craniofacial regions bilaterally, while secondary hyperhidrosis is less common and is often a side effect of medication or an underlying pathology. Primary hyperhidrosis may affect up to 4.8% of the US population, yet it is widely underreported and undertreated. Hyperhidrosis can negatively impact daily activities, cause significant stress, limit social interactions, and reduce the quality of life for patients. In particular, excessive palmar sweating interferes with professional activities (e.g., shaking hands, working with tools, or wearing exam gloves) and degrades sports performance.

Hyperhidrosis (HH) is especially difficult to treat on the hands and feet, with clinical care beginning with prescription strength topical aluminum chloride hexahydrate antiperspirants such as DrySol or Secret Clinical, and OTC products (e.g., Carpe). However, prescription strength aluminum chloride antiperspirants are often ineffective, can be irritating and leave a residue that degrades skin texture and grip. Currently, iontophoresis is the only medical device approved for treating palmar and plantar HH, but these devices are expensive (~$1,500), uncomfortable to use and are time consuming (30 minutes sessions, 3-4 times a week for several months). Oral anticholinergic medicines such as oxybutynin are often prescribed but they have unwanted side effects including blurred vision, dry mouth, and headache. Topical anticholinergic wipes have shown promise, but they are expensive, take weeks to relieve symptoms and have unpleasant side effects in >18% of patients. Finally, invasive procedures such as Botox™ injections and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy are used to treat the most severe palmar/plantar HH cases but these treatments are expensive, invasive, painful and can have significant adverse effects including persistent muscle weakness and compensatory sweating. Thus, a high unmet need exists for topical treatments that are fast-acting, safe, and effective.

Cyanoacrylate (CA) tissue adhesives have been used for decades to close wounds, stop bleeding, and prevent infection. CA tissue adhesives bond to the skin through Michael's addition reactions to tissue amines, forming durable but flexible films. Despite CA being used for various medical applications, no CA-based antiperspirants are currently clinically approved or commercially available.

Topical cyanoacrylate (TCA) is based on medical grade cyanoacrylate adhesives with decades of demonstrated safety clinical applications. TCA is cheap to produce which will improve affordability and treatment adoption. In addition, prototypical TCA formulations eliminate surface moisture within seconds and occlude eccrine sweat pores, anticipating a strong antiperspirant effect compared to current treatments which typically reduce sweating with variable efficacy.

TCA is innovative because it is fast acting (acts within seconds) and does not degrade the surface of the skin or grip function. Current hyperhidrosis treatments typically require days to weeks to achieve clinical results, have a variety of undesirable side effects, and can negatively affect the surface feel of the skin. Aside from topical antiperspirants, Botox injections and anticholinergic agents are the only drugs approved by the FDA for treating hyperhidrosis. Due to their rapid polymerization and strong adhesion and low toxicity, n-Butyl and 2-Octly cyanoacrylate are widely used in thoracic, gastrointestinal, neurologic, cardiovascular, ophthalmologic, and vascular surgery. Although n-Butyl and 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate are considered safe, allergic contact dermatitis can occur after surgical wounds closure at an incident rate of 2.7% for 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate and 2.2% for n-Butyl cyanoacrylate, but risks are presumably lower for topical application on intact glabrous skin. Thus, a significant unmet need exists for fast-acting, cheap, effective, and safe treatments that leave the skin with a desirable surface feel and improve grip security.

In this pilot study described in this proposal, investigators will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a topical application of generic cyanoacrylate (TCA, equivalent to FDA cleared GluStich® medical adhesive or Marathon No Sting Liquid Skin Protectant) to inhibit palmar perspiration.