Dermira and Christian Siriano Collaborate to Inspire People

Mr. Siriano invites the millions of people living with hyperhidrosis in the U.S. to share their ‘sweat stories’

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dermira, Inc. (NASDAQ: DERM), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing biotech ingenuity to medical dermatology by delivering differentiated, new therapies to the millions of people living with chronic skin conditions, today announced its collaboration with Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) fashion designer Christian Siriano for the Check Your Sweat educational campaign. Check Your Sweat is designed to raise awareness of excessive underarm sweating, or primary axillary hyperhidrosis, a treatable medical condition. Mr. Siriano, recognized around the world for his inclusive and relatable approach to dressing others, is fiercely passionate about helping everyone feel confident in their own skin regardless of shape, size or sweat severity.

Studies have shown that hyperhidrosis often impedes normal daily activities and can result in occupational, emotional, psychological, social and physical impairment.^1,2 Nearly half of people living with the condition wait more than 10 years before seeking out treatment from a physician.^1,3 Axillary hyperhidrosis impacts nearly 10 million people in the United States and causes them to produce 4-5 times more sweat than the average person, independent of temperature or activity.^1,4 People living with excessive underarm sweating often develop life-altering workarounds or coping behaviors such as frequently changing clothes throughout the day, hiding under bulky or dark-clothing and taking multiple showers each day.^2,5 These activities often impact their social and professional lives.^2,6

“There are people in my life, both personally and professionally, who have hyperhidrosis, so I know the impact this condition can have on people’s lives,” said Mr. Siriano. “Though often minimized, it is a medical condition and one that millions of people cope with each day. When I learned that clothing choice was among the top challenges for people with excessive underarm sweating, I knew I had to get involved. Getting dressed each day should not be a barrier that prevents people from living life to the fullest. I’m excited to work with Dermira on the Check Your Sweat campaign. Together, we’re calling on sufferers to share their hyperhidrosis stories with us, so we can build a community that helps people feel confident and supported.”

From October 2 – November 30, Mr. Siriano and Dermira invite sufferers to submit their ‘sweat stories,’ sweat-free (or totally sweaty) selfies and their tips for managing hyperhidrosis on CheckYourSweat.com/share-your-story. The first 50 people who share their stories will receive a sweat-friendly shirt courtesy of specialty clothing brands Lawrence Hunt or Thompson Tee. Mr. Siriano will also be sharing his “Styling for Sweat” tips to help people with primary axillary hyperhidrosis dress more confidently, including wearing clothing that allows skin to breathe and looking for dark-colored shirts or big patterns to minimize the appearance of sweat. The effort will culminate during Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month in November, when Mr. Siriano and Dermira will feature stories from the community to encourage people to speak more openly about their daily struggles with hyperhidrosis.

“We’re pleased to partner with Mr. Siriano on the Check Your Sweat campaign to offer educational tools and bring broader awareness to hyperhidrosis,” said Eugene Bauer, M.D., chief medical officer at Dermira and a dermatologist. “Mr. Siriano’s outlook on body positivity aligns closely with Dermira’s mission to help people uncover renewed confidence through treatments to address their skin conditions. Together, we can change the sweat conversation for the better and help empower the hyperhidrosis community to take steps to learn more about their condition and manage it with the help of a dermatologist.”

“Primary axillary hyperhidrosis can have a profound impact on a person’s quality of life and overall well-being, but as many as 49 percent of people who suffer from excessive sweating have never brought it up with their healthcare professional,”^1,3 said Zakiya Rice, M.D., adjunct clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine and a board-certified dermatologist practicing at the Dermatology Associates of Georgia. “I believe Dermira and Mr. Siriano are taking the right steps to reach and educate people through this campaign who aren’t familiar with hyperhidrosis and ultimately encourage them to see their dermatologist for proper medical advice and treatment.”

For more information on how to manage primary axillary hyperhidrosis, visit CheckYourSweat.com and follow Check Your Sweat on Facebook and Instagram.

About Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is a condition of sweating beyond what is physiologically required for normal thermal regulation and affects an estimated 4.8 percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 15 million people.¹ Of these, 65 percent, or nearly 10 million people, suffer from sweating localized to the underarms (axillary disease). Studies have demonstrated that excessive sweating often impedes normal daily activities and can also result in occupational, emotional, psychological, social and physical impairment.^1,2

About Check Your Sweat
Check Your Sweat is a targeted, patient-centric campaign that seeks to educate, inform and provide support to hyperhidrosis sufferers. Through these efforts, Check Your Sweat hopes to elevate awareness about the medical condition and bring sufferers together to let them know they are not alone. Visitors to the site can complete a sweat assessment, which can be used as a discussion guide when talking to their dermatologist about their sweating. Learn more and complete the sweat assessment at www.CheckYourSweat.com and follow Check Your Sweat on Instagram and Facebook.

About Dermira
Dermira is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing biotech ingenuity to medical dermatology by delivering differentiated, new therapies to the millions of patients living with chronic skin conditions. Dermira is committed to understanding the needs of both patients and physicians and using its insight to identify and develop leading-edge medical dermatology programs. The company’s approved treatment, QBREXZA™ (glycopyrronium) cloth, is indicated for pediatric and adult patients (ages 9 and older) with primary axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweating). Dermira is also evaluating lebrikizumab in a Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (a severe form of eczema) and has early-stage research programs in other areas of dermatology. Dermira is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. For more information, please visit http://www.dermira.com. Follow Dermira on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In addition to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), press releases, public conference calls and webcasts, Dermira uses its website, LinkedIn page, corporate Instagram account and corporate Twitter account as channels of distribution of information about its company, product candidates, planned financial and other announcements, attendance at upcoming investor and industry conferences and other matters. Such information may be deemed material information and Dermira may use these channels to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Therefore, investors should monitor Dermira’s website, LinkedIn page, Instagram and Twitter accounts in addition to following its SEC filings, news releases, public conference calls and webcasts.

Dermira Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements with respect to Dermira’s goals of: bringing biotech ingenuity to medical dermatology by delivering differentiated, new therapies to the millions of patients living with chronic skin conditions; raising awareness of primary axillary hyperhidrosis; building a community that helps people suffering from primary axillary hyperhidrosis feel confident and supported; helping people uncover renewed confidence through treatments to address their skin conditions; and empowering the hyperhidrosis community to take steps to learn more about their condition and manage it with the help of a dermatologist. These statements deal with future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as those relating to Dermira’s dependence on third-party clinical research organizations, manufacturers and suppliers; Dermira’s ability to attract and retain key employees; Dermira’s ability to obtain necessary additional capital; market acceptance of Dermira’s potential products; Dermira’s ability to develop and maintain collaborations and license products and intellectual property; the impact of competitive products and therapies, including generics and biosimilars; Dermira’s ability to manage the growth and complexity of its organization; Dermira’s ability to maintain, protect and enhance its intellectual property; the design, implementation and outcomes of Dermira’s clinical trials; the outcomes of Dermira’s future meetings with regulatory agencies; and Dermira’s ability to continue to stay in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. You should refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” set forth in Dermira’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Dermira’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings Dermira makes with the SEC from time to time for a discussion of important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by Dermira’s forward-looking statements. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Dermira undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or reasons why actual results might differ, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Media:
Erica Jefferson
Vice President, Corporate Communications
650-421-7216
media@dermira.com

Erin Murphy
Director, Corporate Communications
650-422-7746
erin.murphy@dermira.com

Investors:
Ian Clements, Ph.D.
Vice President, Investor Relations
650-422-7753
investor@dermira.com

References:
¹ Doolittle, J., Walker, P., Mills, T., & Thurston, J. (October 15, 2016). Hyperhidrosis: an update on prevalence and severity in the United States. Accessed October 04, 2017, from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00403-016-1697-9.pdf.
² Kamudoni, et al. The impact of hyperhidrosis on patients’ daily life and quality of life: a qualitative investigation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 15(1). 2017.
³ Glaser, D. A., Ballard, A. M., Hunt, N. L., Pieretti, L. J., & Pariser, D. (2016). Prevalence of Multifocal Primary Hyperhidrosis and Symptom Severity Over Time: Results of a Targeted Survey. American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Accessed on February 28, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27879523.
⁴ Hund, M. (2002). Definition of Axillary Hyperhidrosis by Gravimetric Assessment. Arch Dermatology, vol. 138, pp. 539-541.
⁵ International Hyperhidrosis Society. (2016). Diagnosing Hyperhidrosis. Accessed October 04, 2017 from https://www.sweathelp.org/home/diagnosing-hyperhidrosis.html.
⁶ Bahar, Rayeheh, et al. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with or without hyperhidrosis (HH). Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 75, no. 6, 2016, pp. 1126–1133., doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2016.07.001.