News Release Details
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Announces Presentation of Three Posters Featuring Positive Preliminary Topline Results of VP-315 for the Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma at the 2025 Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference
– Presented data includes a 97% Calculated Objective Response Rate (ORR) of study subjects following treatment with VP-315
– Posters highlight the safety data, tolerability data, and antitumor efficacy data of VP-315 for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma as determined by histological clearance
Verrica presented a poster titled “Calculated Objective Response Rate (ORR) of 97% from Post-Hoc Analysis of a Phase 2 Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of VP-315, an Investigational therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)” while encore presentations of two additional posters (titled “Results of a Phase 2 Multicenter Study Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of VP-315, an Investigational therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma” and “Results of a Phase 2 Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of VP-315, an Investigational Therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma”) were also made at the conference. The posters included safety and histologic clearance data from 82 patients with up to two target BCC tumors (a total of 91 tumors) in Part 2 of the Study evaluating VP-315 for the treatment of BCC, including patients with tumors on the head and neck.
Part 2 of the Study was designed to explore dosing regimens to help Verrica identify the recommended regimen for a Phase 3 study program. Approximately 51% of tumors treated in the Study achieved complete histological clearance, while those patients with a residual tumor achieved, on average, approximately 71% reduction in tumor size. There were no Treatment Related Serious Adverse Events, and most Treatment Related Adverse Events were mild to moderate.
In the newly-presented poster, Verrica conducted a post-hoc analysis of the data from the Study and announced a Calculated ORR of 97%, defined as the percentage of study subjects who do not demonstrate disease progression and who experience at least a 30% level of tumor reduction along with partial or complete response following treatment The Company still expects genomic and T-cell (immune response) data in the first quarter of 2025 and plans to request an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2025 to determine the next steps for the development of VP-315 for the treatment of BCC.
“We remain highly encouraged by the positive preliminary topline results from Part 2 of the Phase 2 study for VP-315, which we believe support a potential change in the treatment paradigm for patients with basal cell carcinoma,” said Dr.
About the Phase 2 Study of VP-315
The Study is a 2-part, open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation, proof-of-concept study with a safety run-in designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of VP-315 when administered intratumorally to adults with biopsy-proven BCC. The study enrolled 92 adult subjects with a histological diagnosis of BCC in at least one eligible target tumor. For additional information about this clinical trial, please visit clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05188729.
About VP- 315
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. The technology is based on pioneering research in “host defense peptides” – nature’s first line of defense towards foreign pathogens. 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
About Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Verrica is a dermatology therapeutics company developing medications for skin diseases requiring medical interventions. Verrica’s product YCANTH® (VP-102) (cantharidin), is the first and only commercially available 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
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 concerning the potential of VP-315, the Company’s research, development and regulatory plans for VP-315, the timing of the Company’s planned clinical trials for VP-315 and reporting data from the Company’s clinical trials, and the potential market size opportunity for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. 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 uncertainties inherent in the drug development process and the regulatory approval process, Verrica’s reliance on third parties over which it may not always have full control and uncertainties that are described in Vernica’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Investors:
kgardner@lifesciadvisors.com
ccalabrese@lifesciadvisors.com
Source: Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.