Verrica Therapeutics Inc. (VRCA), a dermatology therapeutics company, on Tuesday announced the presentation of Phase 2 data indicating an abscopal effect for VP-315 in treating basal cell carcinoma at the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) annual meeting on May 15, 2026.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a type of skin cancer that is the most common cancer form in the U.S., with 36 million new cases diagnosed every year. Causing multiple tumors and cancerous lesions, BCC is often treated with surgical excisions, which can lead to scarring, bleeding, and infection.
The company developed VP-315 as a novel, oncolytic peptide immunotherapy administered directly to tumors. The drug induces immunogenic cell death by targeting a broad spectrum of tumor antigens for T-cell responses, thus providing a non-surgical option for patients with BCC.
In the Phase 2 open-label study of VP-315, an abscopal effect was observed, which involves localized treatment in a patient's body triggering a therapeutic effect in distant malignancies.
Patients were treated with an intratumoral injection of VP-315 in two treated lesions (TLs). Up to three non-treated lesions (NTLs) per subject were also monitored over 12 weeks. The NTLs exhibited a 67% reduction in size, and 21% of NTLs showed complete histological clearance.
This suggests that VP-315 sets off an abscopal effect, brought about by broader immune activation within the tumor microenvironment of remote NTLs.
VP-315 is also being explored for various oncological indications, including non-metastatic melanoma, non-metastatic merkel cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, and has shown positive tumor-specific immune cell responses in multi-indication Phase 1/2 oncological trials.
VRCA closed Tuesday at $7.16, up 12.58%. In after-hours, shares are trading at $7.20, up 0.56%.
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