Novel nonsurgical immunotherapy treatment shows promise in basal cell carcinoma

Key takeaways:

• VP-315 is an investigational nonsurgical immunotherapy treatment option for patients with basal cell carcinoma.
• Results showed clearance of basal cell carcinoma lesions in four of six patients.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. has reported lesion clearance data from part one of an ongoing phase 2 study of VP-315 for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, according to a press release from Verrica’s licensing partner, Lytix Biopharma.

VP-315, formerly known as LTX-315, is an investigational nonsurgical immunotherapy treatment option for patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

Results from part one of a phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy of VP-315 for the treatment of BCC were presented at the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology Innovation Academy meeting that was held Aug. 10 to 13 in Tampa, Florida.

In the study, patients received a once-daily dose of VP-315, administered intratumorally, in up to two BCC lesions. Patients received up to six treatments within a 2-week period.

According to the press release, six lesions that were treated with an 8 mg dosage were assessed and excised at day 49.

A histological evaluation showed a consistent clinical clearance of BCC lesions at the 49-day post-treatment period, with complete clearance in four of the six treated patients.

One of the remaining two subjects exhibited a 95% tumor clearance, whereas the other had a 30% tumor clearance.

“It is very encouraging to see that a majority of patients receiving the higher range of VP-315 dosing experienced complete tumor clearance,” Øystein Rekdal, PhD, CEO of Lytix, said in the release. “We now look forward to seeing the results from part two of Verrica’s phase 2 study investigating the optimization of the dosing regime, which Verrica expects to be concluded in the first half of 2024.”