Company: VRCA
Filing Date: 2025-03-11
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-037172
Chunk: 25

Company: Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-11
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 25
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2 trial and to receive minutes from an end-of-phase 2 meeting in the first half of 2025, which will help determine the next steps for the advancement of the program into Phase 3 trials.

Competition for Product Candidates

The pharmaceutical industry is subject to rapidly advancing technologies, intense competition, and a strong emphasis on proprietary products. We face potential competition from many different sources, including major pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, compounding facilities, academic institutions, governmental agencies, and public and private research institutions. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing treatments and new treatments that may become available in the future.

 With respect to YCANTH (VP-102) for common warts, we will primarily be competing with over-the-counter products, cryotherapy, curettage, laser surgery, or other off-label therapies. There are currently no FDA-approved prescription pharmaceutical therapies for the treatment of common warts.

We are aware of several other product candidates in development as potential treatments for the indications we intend to target.  There are a number of other companies developing products for common warts. In addition, other drugs have been used off-label as treatments for plantar and common warts.  

A number of other companies are in various stages of developing treatments for BCC. Although surgery is historically the most common treatment for superficial BCC, several companies are working on non-surgical alternative treatments due to the risk of disfigurement, infection and scarring seen from more invasive treatments. At least three companies are currently conducting trials for superficial BCC and several companies who already have FDA approval to treat more advanced and metastatic cancers, are conducting trials to expand their indications to include locally advanced and metastatic BCC. 

11

Intellectual Property

YCANTH (VP-102) for molluscum, VP-315 for dermatological oncology, and other product candidates

In addition to our five-year regulatory exclusivity for YCANTH (VP-102), the extent of our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for YCANTH (VP-102), including our proprietary cantharidin formulation and applicator, and any of our current or future product candidates (including VP-315 for dermatological oncology), medical devices, synthetic methodologies, novel discoveries, drug development technologies, and know-how; to operate without infringing on or otherwise violating the proprietary rights of others; and to prevent others from infringing or otherwise violating our proprietary