– Post-hoc analysis shows YCANTH^® drove high rates of complete clearance in molluscum contagiosum patients regardless of disease duration –

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Verrica" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:VRCA), a therapeutics company developing and commercializing medications for the treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin cancers, today announced that it will present posters on YCANTH^® (VP-102), a therapy approved by the FDA to treat molluscum contagiosum in patients 2 years of age and older, and VP-315, in development for basal cell carcinoma, at two upcoming dermatology conferences in September 2026: the 27th Annual Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar (September 17–20, Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV) and Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 (September 16–19, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV). Both posters will be presented at each conference.

"These two posters reflect our continued commitment to the science underlying our dermatology product portfolio," said Jayson Rieger, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verrica. "The disease duration findings for YCANTH are based on a new post-hoc analysis and are particularly meaningful, demonstrating that YCANTH can provide robust treatment benefit regardless of whether patients have recently contracted molluscum or have suffered for greater than 12 months with their lesions. We believe demonstrating treatment effectiveness regardless of disease duration can provide further comfort for HCPs on the benefits of treating molluscum patients with YCANTH, compared to a "watch and wait" approach that was preferred when no FDA-approved treatments were available. On VP-315, we also remain highly encouraged with data on the primary tumor and abscopal signals observed in our Phase 2 trial, which reinforces the potential of VP-315 to become a meaningful non-surgical immunotherapy option for patients with basal cell carcinoma."

Noah L. Rosenberg, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Verrica, added, "Both analyses speak directly to how physicians think about treatment decisions in practice. For YCANTH, knowing that there is a robust treatment effect regardless of how long a patient has had molluscum gives clinicians confidence to treat their patients with YCANTH at any time after diagnosis. With respect to VP-315, the abscopal-like activity we have observed in untreated lesions suggests a potential immune benefit that could extend the reach of a localized treatment – an important consideration for patients who present with multiple basal cell carcinomas at one time or over a lifetime."

YCANTH^® Efficacy Regardless of Disease Duration

The Company will present, for the first time publicly, results from a post-hoc pooled analysis of two completed Phase 3 trials of YCANTH for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (molluscum), examining whether the duration of disease prior to treatment impacts clinical response. The analysis found that YCANTH drove significant rates of complete clearance and lesion reduction regardless of how long a patient had been suffering from molluscum prior to starting treatment.

Key findings include:

Among patients with disease duration of 12 months or less, 48.9% of YCANTH-treated subjects achieved complete clearance of all lesions at Day 84, compared with 16.7% of vehicle-treated subjects (p<0.0001).
Among patients with disease duration greater than 12 months, 58.8% of YCANTH-treated subjects achieved complete clearance, compared with 5.0% of vehicle-treated subjects (p<0.0001).
Median percentage reduction in lesion count was 100% with YCANTH in both duration groups, compared with 47.9% (≤12 months) and 50.9% (>12 months) with vehicle (p<0.0001 for both comparisons).
Across the study population, the median YCANTH-treated patient achieved at least 2.3 times greater lesion count reduction than the typical vehicle-treated patient at Day 84, regardless of time since diagnosis.

Potential Abscopal Effect of VP-315 in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Verrica will also present an encore poster, previously presented at the 2026 Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting, describing an exploratory analysis of potential abscopal-like effects of VP-315, the Company’s investigational oncolytic peptide immunotherapy, in patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The analysis examined untreated, non-target lesions (NTLs) in patients from Part 2 of a Phase 2 multicenter study following intratumoral treatment of separate target lesions and observed mean tumor size reduction in 14 untreated non-target lesions as well as 3 of 14 untreated lesions achieving complete histological clearance.

Presentation Details

27th Annual Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar | September 17–20, 2026 | The Bellagio Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Poster: VP-102 Demonstrates Complete Clearance Regardless of Molluscum Contagiosum Disease Duration: Results from Two Phase III Trials

        Poster Number: OD-03

        Category: Other Dermatology Topics Section

        Convention/Meeting Space: Da Vinci Ballroom #4, Raphael Ballroom Foyer

Poster: VP-315 Demonstrates Potential Abscopal Effect in Untreated Non-Target Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) Tumors (Encore)

        Poster Number: CM-01

        Category: Cutaneous Malignancies

        Convention/Meeting Space: Da Vinci Ballroom #4, Raphael Ballroom Foyer

Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 | September 16–19, 2026 | The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV

• Poster: VP-102 Demonstrates Complete Clearance Regardless of Molluscum Contagiosum Disease Duration: Results from Two Phase III Trials

• Poster: VP-315 Demonstrates a Potential Abscopal Effect in Untreated Non-Target Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) Tumors (Encore)

Poster Numbers: Digital Only

Category: N/A

About YCANTH^® (VP-102)

YCANTH^® is a proprietary drug-device combination product that contains a GMP-controlled formulation of cantharidin delivered via a single-use applicator that allows for precise topical dosing and targeted administration for the treatment of molluscum. YCANTH is the first and only healthcare professional-administered product approved by the FDA to treat adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with molluscum contagiosum — a common, highly contagious skin disease that affects an estimated six million people in the United States, primarily children. Please visit YCANTHPro.com for additional information.

YCANTH is now approved for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in Japan based upon an additional Phase 3 trial of approximately 300 patients. YCANTH is being studied in a global Phase 3 program in the US and Japan for use in the treatment of common warts.

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. 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 Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Verrica is a therapeutics company developing and commercializing medications for the treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin cancers. 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 ASA 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 potential benefits of Verrica’s product candidates, including YCANTH (VP-102) and VP-315, and the data described in this press release. 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 and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Verrica’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, Verrica’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q 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