The treatment would help to address unmet medical needs against serious skin lesions

Reports suggest that the lead candidate of Verrica Pharmaceuticals, a drug-device combination for dermatology indication, has achieved primary endpoints in two of the Phase 3 trials while testing in molluscum contagiosum, a skin infection.

Apparently, this treatment beat out placebo in reducing the number of lesions and completely clearing treatable lesions in both studies. The Pennsylvania-based firm is planning to file a New Drug Application (NDA) for the asset, termed as VP-102, in second half of year 2019.

Lead investigator for the VP-102 phase 3 molluscum program and Chief of adolescent and pediatric dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, Lawrence Eichenfield, M.D., mentioned that the current methods of treatment have huge limitations, which include unproven efficacy, scarring, pain. Also, many are not suitable for use in children, he stated.

Eichenfield further said that VP-102 addresses unmet medical needs for treating serious skin lesions that could spread very quickly among children and within families, if it is left untreated, could lead towards secondary infections, skin inflammation, anxiety and social stigma.

The data, which was presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting, has allegedly followed topline results announced in January. Both the trails, known as CAMP-1 and CAMP-2, had been randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trials which pitted VP-102 against placebo in 528 patients suffering from molluscum. In a single-use applicator, VP-102 is a topical treatment which contains a solution of 0.7 percent cantharidin.

Further from the reports, for up to a total of 12 weeks, patients were treated once in every three weeks. Studies revealed that 26 percent of patients treated in CAMP-1 and 54 percent of patients treated in CAMP-2 had finished clearance of all treatable molluscum lesions.

Purportedly, the placebo group numbers were 18 percent and 13 percent, respectively. In mean reduction of the number of lesions, VP-102 performed similarly, 69 percent and 83 percent reduction in CAMP-1 and CAMP-2. Placebo patients in CAMP-2 had a 19 percent reduction, while those in CAMP-1 had a 20% increase.