WEST CHESTER, Pa., April 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Verrica”) (Nasdaq: VRCA), a therapeutics company developing and commercializing medications for the treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin cancers, today announced acceptance of a late-breaking abstract reporting Phase 2 exploratory data of VP-315, Verrica’s novel oncolytic peptide for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. The data will be presented at the upcoming 2026 Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting, which will take place from May 13-16, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation Details:

Title: “VP-315 Demonstrates Potential Abscopal Effect in Untreated Non-Target Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) Tumors”

Poster Number: LB1190

Category: Non-Melanoma Cancers and UV Biology/Injury

Poster Session Dates and Time:

Friday, May 15, 2026 (4:30 pm – 6:00 pm)

Location: (Salons B,C,D - Lower Level, Hilton Chicago)

About VP- 315 (ruxotemitide)
VP-315 is a potential first-in-class oncolytic chemotherapeutic peptide immunotherapy administered directly into a tumor to induce immunogenic cell death and thereby unleashing a broad spectrum of tumor antigens for T cell responses, which may offer a non-surgical option for patients suffering from skin cancer. Verrica holds an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize VP-315 for certain dermatologic oncology indications, including non-metastatic melanoma and non-metastatic merkel cell carcinoma, and intends to focus initially on basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas as the lead indications for development. VP-315 has demonstrated positive tumor-specific immune cell responses in multi-indication Phase 1/2 oncology trials.

About Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., and incidence is rising worldwide. There are approximately 3.6 million diagnoses of basal cell carcinomas in the U.S. each year, with a high unmet need for new treatment options. Basal cell carcinoma is generally treated with invasive surgery to remove the tumor, which can cause pain, infection, bleeding and scarring.

About Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. 
Verrica is a therapeutics company developing and commercializing medications for the treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin cancer. Verrica’s product YCANTH^® (VP-102) (cantharidin), is the first and only healthcare professional-administered treatment approved by the FDA to treat adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with molluscum contagiosum, a highly contagious viral skin infection affecting approximately 6 million people in the United States, primarily children. YCANTH^® (VP-102) is also in development to treat common warts, the largest remaining unmet need in medical dermatology. Verrica has also entered a worldwide license agreement with Lytix Biopharma AS to develop and commercialize VP-315 (ruxotemitide, formerly known as LTX-315 and VP-LTX-315) for non-melanoma skin cancers including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.  For more information, visit www.verrica.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” and similar expressions, and are based on Verrica’s current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include statements about the clinical development and benefits of Verrica’s product candidates, including VP-315. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties related to market conditions, satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the proposed public offering and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Verrica’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and other filings Verrica makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Verrica as of the date of this release, and Verrica assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Investors:

John Kirby
Interim Chief Financial Officer
jkirby@verrica.com

Kevin Gardner
LifeSci Advisors
kgardner@lifesciadvisors.com

Source: Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.