The last patient has been dosed in Part 2 of Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Phase 2 trial of VP-315, a potential first-in-class oncolytic peptide, for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.
VP-315 is a chemotherapeutic administered intratumorally. It works by inducing lysis of intracellular organelles of tumor cells such as mitochondria, thereby unleashing a broad spectrum of tumor antigens for T cell responses, the Company explains.
“Verrica’s VP-315 program is designed to provide for the targeted delivery of an oncolytic peptide engineered to stimulate the patient’s immune system and destroy cancer cells,” says Ted White, Verrica’s President and Chief Executive Officer, in a news release. “Our study remains on track, and we look forward to sharing the data from our Phase 2 clinical trial later this year.”
The Phase 2 trial 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 in adults with biopsy-proven basal cell carcinoma. The study is expected to enroll approximately 80 adult subjects with a histological diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma in at least one eligible target lesion.
