Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Gregory Renza: Hey, good morning Ted and team. Congrats on the progress and will start with YCANTH. Just two questions from me. As you really dig into building that awareness with respect to the launch and we talk about or at least get anecdotal feedback on the clearance and the performance of YCANTH really maybe over extending beyond the label, certainly anecdotally, I’m just curious how you plan to maybe deliver those anecdotes collectively to enhance the buy-in across the clinicians community as folks get greater experience with YCANTH and build that awareness? And then secondly, Ted, I know you had an update on VP-102 for Common Warts. And I know the focus is on the launch here. But I’m just curious how the FDA proceedings are potentially changing or at least reinforcing your expectations on timing for a Phase 3 trial with Common Warts. Thanks again and congrats.

Ted White: Thanks, Greg, for the question. So Greg, regarding the indications and KOLs. So listen, we’ve trained 42 KOLs nationally. And we plan to utilize them to help communicate the YCANTH message, also white papers and also point you to our recent virtual KOL event that was held recently with the positions I mentioned earlier. And then on Common Warts question. Again, I think that we’re not going to look at any trials until the second half of 2024 at the earliest.

Gregory Renza: Got it. Sounds great, Ted. Thanks again

Ted White: Thank you.

Operator: The next question we have is from Serge Belanger of Needham & Co. Please go ahead.

Serge Belanger: Hi, good morning. Thanks for taking my questions. I guess the first one on coverage. Obviously, you’ve done a lot of progress on the commercial and Medicaid front. Maybe just talk about when you expect to be at steady state coverage on both Commercial and Medicaid. And then you’re also establishing a White Bag service. Just curious how widely you’ll be establishing that service? And if we should expect most of the demand will come through that service until there is a J-code established in early 2024. Thanks.

Ted White: Yes. So Serge, thanks for your questions. First thing on coverage. So the coverage is growing every day. Prior to our launch of this product, I’ve said in prior conversations, that this has been very consistent feedback from the payer community since we’ve been out there talking to them over the last few years. It’s exceeding in the first three months year exceeding even where we thought it would be at over roughly 112 million lives covered, and that’s going to continue to grow daily as we have more plans that are nearing the finish line on their final decisions. So we should get a steady state here by beginning of first quarter into first quarter of next year. The Medicaid states, they work on their own secular schedule.

So there’s a group of states that have us under review now, and there’ll be more after the New Year in quarter one, all the way through April of next year in Medicaid. But it’s a very robust coverage landscape as we speak right now. Regarding White Bag, we have an exclusive specialty pharmacy right now. And the mix is about 80% specialty to 20% buying built, which is predictive of our modeling in the early going and we are fully expecting to get a J-code established in the first quarter of next year, which will continue to move it towards buying bill pretty rapidly.

Serge Belanger: Great. Thank you.

Ted White: You’re welcome.

Operator: The last question we have is from Kemp Dolliver of Brookline Capital Markets. Please go ahead.

Kemp Dolliver: Great. Thank you for taking my question. With regard to SG&A, you’re now at $20 million in the quarter? It sounds like the sales force is fully staffed. Launch activities are underway. Should this be a pretty steady-state number looking out over the course of the next four to six quarters?